Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1874 — Salt as a Manure. [ARTICLE]

Salt as a Manure.

Common salt has been r ed as a manure from a very early period with very good results. It was cried up so high at one time as an almost universal specific that, when the expectations thus raised were not fulfilled, it fell into disrepute. There can be no doubt that it is a manure of great value when applied in proper quantity at the right time. When used as a top-dressing for wheat at the rate of four to five bushels per acre it increases the crop considerably at a trifling expense. It is also a good top-dressing for grass land. From practical experiments made in England it was found that six bushels of salt, costing three dollars, increased the crop of hay one ton per acre over that portion ot the field to which there was not any dressing applied; while one hundredweight of nitrate of soda, costing $5 50, caused an increase ot only twelve hun-dred-weight per acre. In a comparative trial cf, salt, nitrate of soda, and nitrate of soda with - -rapedust as a top dressing for wheat it was found that nitrate of soda alone gave 152 pounds pf wheat, exclusive of straw, for 31 shillings, British, or 12s. 2d per bushel; nitrate with rape-dust gave 400 pounds of wheat for 435. 6d., or 6s. 9d. per bushel, and common salt gave 472 pounds of wheat for 3s. 6d., or 6d. per bushel. These experiments also demonstrate that salt has a tendency to improve the quality and increase the quantity of grain, and to increase the quantity of grain in a greater ratio than that of. the straw. The principal reason why salt proves to be useless is its previous existence in sufficient quantity in the soil. With;lime. salt is of great service in making up compost heaps. A sprinkling of salt over farm-yard manures either in the manure pile, or when it has been drawn to the field, has been found very beneficial to the crop.—Western MufaJ. —A yawl-boat—Oi»e filled with crying babies*