Graziers of Great Britain. 345 
I believe they are, then every improvement in the agriculture or 
rural ceconomy of these kingdoms may be considered to be an 
important national acquisition, and I shall be excused in not of- 
fering any apology for endeavouring to call your attention to a 
practice which is little known in our country, but which in some 
foreign states has invariably been attended with decided advan- 
tages as well as profit. 
The value of common salt for agricultural purposes has been 
long known in Germany, in Poland, in Holland, in Flanders, and 
in all the provinces of the United States of America; it is there- 
fore much to be lamented that the existing duties should so long 
have deprived the people of this country of the various benefits 
which they might have derived from this valuable native pro- 
duction*. The mineral substance of which we are speaking is 
found in this island in the greatest abundance; yet, by a mistaken 
policy, we have hitherto given it to strangers, and have allowed 
many thousands of acres of our own Jands, which, by the free use 
of salt, might have been rendered highly fertile and profitable, 
to remain nearly sterile, or at least in a state in which they will 
barely pay for the expense of their cultivation. 
However, since the government has so far relaxed as to remit 
a great part of the duty on such rock-salt as shall forthwith, be 
consumed in agriculture, or in feeding cattle, and as so much de- 
pends upon the manner in which this valuable boon is received 
by the country, it is desirable that the greatest extent of publi- 
city should be given to the act of parliament; and that no agri- 
culturist, not even the most humble gardener, should remain ig- 
norant of the terms and conditions upon which he may now ob- 
tain so rich and useful a commodity as rock-salt. 
Penetrated with the importance of the subject, and contem- 
plating the variety of advantages which the landed interest must 
derive from the accomplishment of the measure, the act had no 
sooner passed than I determined to lay all the particulars before 
the public, in the hope that these concessions of the legislature, 
together with the evidence which I should be enabled to offer in 
proof of the advantages to be derived from the use of salt, would 
be amply sufficient to induce a large majority of the farmers of 
Great Britain to acquire such a knowledge of the new regulations 
as would enable them, without delay, to avail themselves of all 
the benefits which the government has thus offered for their ac- 
ceptance. 
Having no private ends to answer, and expecting to derive no 
personal advantage whatever from the general adoption of this 
* The value of common salt as a manure was known some hundred years 
ago by certain individuals in this country, but the high duties and other im- 
pediments have prevented its use becoming general. 
measure, 
