On Salt-as a Manure. 175 
Ne 
salt, or an handful of the mixture. He isa friend to mo- 
derate steeping of grain in weak salt and water, for 
seed; but not to briaes, strong, or long continued, as _ 
steeps. He has applied the salt, or mixture, to cotton, 
with great success ; and says, ‘‘ The same mixture will 
answer equally well for wheat, rye, corn and tobacco.” 
Also hemp and and flax are benefitted by either the salt 
alone, or the mixture. It does not succeed on clay soils, 
not well pulverized. He gives instances of great im- 
provement by sowing a bushel of salt per acre, or that 
quantity in his compound, on grass lands. He told me 
that Lord Fairfasx in Virginia practised this many years 
ago on timothy grass, and doubled its product; as he 
was informed by an old servant of that nobleman. I 
give you this account from his pamphlet, and conversa- 
tion. He reprobates all applications of salt in large 
quantities; as being as injurious, as are the smaller por- 
tions beneficial. He top dresses with salt, or the com- 
pound, at the rate mentioned, all crops of either spring 
or winter grain; and prefers strewing it in moist wea- 
ther. He says that others in his neighbourhood are in 
the practice, which is gaining much credit among those 
who adopt it. I think it best to make trial of his sug- 
gestions, though his panacea seems good for too many 
things; and have no reason, from his appearance, to 
doubt the verity of his facts. Be they ever so apparent- 
ly improbable, the experiment will cost little, of either 
labour or expence. The gantelope I ran, in early hie, 
under the lash of prejudice, when, almost alone, I began 
to disseminate the uses and efficacy of small quantities 
of plaister of Paris ; has taught me never to treat with 
‘neglect or contempt, relations of experiments in hus- 
