Graxiers of Great Britain. 353 
with the food of sheep or cattle; for steeping seed-corn ; for 
preserving hay, or for manuring land ; and no bond is required to 
be given, nor any sureties as heretofore, for the faithful employ- 
ment of the salt so obtained. Aud although the farmer must 
give a certificate that he has consumed the salt in the way the 
act directs, it is not necessary that time should be lost, as here- 
tofore, while the collector makes. inquiries to satisfy himself of 
the truth of the allegations in the certificate, but he is bound to 
accept the same when presented, and the farmer is entitled to 
receive a further supply of salt immediately. 
By this important act of parliament, the farmer is also allowed 
to remove any part of such salt to another farm, or to sell it to a 
neighbouring farmer for the purposes aforesaid; and notwith- 
standing the penalty on a fraudulent misapplication of the salt 
is fixed by this act at forty shillings the bushel, or at one hun- 
dred pounds, according to the determination of the person who 
shall sue for the same, still the act contains a proviso, that the 
penalty may be mitigated by a justice of the peace to one-fourth 
part thereof, 
Such are the alterations which have been made in the laws re- 
specting the use of rock-salt in agriculture; and it does appear 
to me that every farmer who has it in his power to purchase salt 
should immediately procure a quantity, and make such expe- 
riments upon his land and with his live stock as shall appear to 
him to be most likely to increase the quantity and value of his 
produce. I am extremely anxious that a great number of agri- 
culturists should immediately. enter upon these experiments, be- 
cause, in my estimation, this concession of the legislature is the 
greatest boon that the government has ever offered to the accep- 
tance of the landed interest of this country; and that if the oc- 
cupiers of the land, after the Jate extraordinary exertions of the 
select committee of the house of commons for their benefit, should 
discover an indifference or disinclination to accept of the pref- 
fered gift, those interested persons who are enemies.to the total 
repeal of the laws relating to salt will avail themselves of this 
circumstance as an argument against the advocates for the re- 
peal ; and the whole of the late salt laws will soon be re-enacted in 
all their original force and severity. Whereas, if experiments were 
very generally instituted throughout the country, I doubt not but 
the farmers would soon become so fully convinced of the value of 
salt for the various purposes of husbandry, that a general appli- 
cation would ere long be made to parliament for a total repeal of 
parliament, by applying to Mr. William Horne, a respectable and public- 
spirited merchant in Liverpool, who has lately been elected an honorary 
member of the Board of Agriculture in London, for his zeal in promoting 
agricultural experiments with rock-salt. 
Vol. 53, No. 253. May 1819, Z all 
