Graziers of Great Britain. 349 
smut or rust *; but when the seed has been properly prepared 
with salt, this misfortune can never happen. It has also been 
proved by some public-spirited individuals, who have made the 
necessary experiments, that the scab is never found upon potatoes 
which have grown upon land that has had a proper dressing of 
common salt. 
In many parts of Flanders, but more particularly at Lisle, it is 
the practice to preserve the urine of those cattle that eat com- 
mon salt with their food. This is preserved in appropriate re- 
servoirs ; and when the farmers apply it to a certain description 
of land, which experience has taught them to select, the effect, 
even without any other manure, is not only advantageous, but it 
is truly astonishing. 
Enough, I presume, has now been offered to induce you to 
expect a satisfactory result from the application of salt to your 
fields and meadows; I shall, therefore, at present content myself 
with informing you, that in the Appendix you will find a list of 
the names of the gentlemen who have borne testimony to the 
efficacy of salt as a manure, and likewise the evidence of a gen- 
tleman who-has used common salt upon his own farm for many 
years, and has witnessed the use of brine upon the lands in his 
neighbourhood for forty years, with the greatest advantage; and 
who came from a distant county on purpose to attend the select 
committee of the House of Commons, to report to them the sub- 
stance of his experience for that very long period. You will also 
find there the proposals of the Board of Agriculture in London, 
and of the Highland Society of Scotland, both of which institu- 
tions are fully aware of the value of rock-salt in the cultivation 
of land; for they have offered rewards to such persons as shall 
give them an account of the best experiments with this valuable 
mineral substance, in the different branches of farming, and ge- 
neral agriculture. 
We proceed now to the second part of our subject, which re- 
lates to the application of salt in feeding sheep and horses, and 
for assisting in fattening live stock. Here, however, I shall merely 
enumerate the several advantages which appear to have resulted 
from the practice, and shall then place my chief reliance on the 
effect which may be produced by your perusal of the several do- 
cuments which are contained in the Appendix. 
To ascertain the exact quantity of salt which may be neces- 
sary for the different kinds of land, and to appreciate the bene- 
* IL am desirous of recommending to my readers’ perusal a very valuable 
paper, which has lately been distributed gratis by the Board of Agriculture, 
written by the Right Honour able Sir John Sinclair, bart. On the means of 
ere) the rust in wheat by the use of salt,” an object well entitled to 
e ascertained by decisive experiments. f 
ts 
