356 A Letter to the Farmers and 
‘To young heifers two ounces per day, at twice, as aforesaid. 
To calves one ounce per day, divided into two portions. 
To sheep two ounces per head per week. The salt to be 
spread very thin upon slates or tiles in the field where the sheep 
are fed. 
Few farmers or graziers, I flatter myself, will read the fore- 
going pages, and the Appendix, without feeling some desire to 
improve their own estates, and increase the value of their live 
stock by the use of salt; but if there are any who are incapable 
of feeling a desire for improvement, I trust there are, on the 
other hand, many country gentiemen and enlightened agricultu- 
rists, who rejoice in every opportunity of contributing towards, 
the national improvement of Great Britain, and who will enter- 
tain the subject from principles of pure patriotism. 
It was the opinion of, Aristotle, ‘* that the cultivation of the 
Jand is favourable to liberty.” Anda writer of more modern times 
remarks, ‘ that well ordered monarchies are most frequently 
found in highly cultivated and fruitful countries.” There was an 
adage formerly in vogue, that ‘fields covered with ears of corn 
are the sources of victories.” ‘* The Sardinians,” says the Be 
dent Montesquieu, “* were formerly very rich; and Aristeus, 
famed for his love of agriculture, was their lawgiver. But a 
Carthaginians becoming their masters, destroyed every thing 
proper for the nour ishment of man, and forbade the cultivation 
of the lands upon pain of death.”” The. state consequently fell 
into decay, and for ages became the prey of a variety of con- 
querors. What is most remarkable, however, is, that even to 
this day the greatest part of the island of Sardinia remains an 
uncultivated. barren waste. To this deplorable state uf things 
the empire of China affords a striking contrast. 
“* The ancient emperors'of China,” says Montesquieu, “‘ were 
not conquerors. ‘The first thing they did to aggrandize them- 
selves gave the highest proof of their wisdom. They raised from 
beneath the waters (or rather, they recovered from the sea) two 
of the finest provinces of the empire. These owe their existence 
to the labour of man; and it is the inexpressible fertility of these 
two provinces which has given Europe such ideas of the felicity 
of this vast country.”’ And from the united testimony of travel- 
lers, we have reason to believe that every part of this extensive 
empire is constantly preserved in the highest possible state of 
cultivation ; whereas, in England and Wales alone, there are up- 
wards of seven millions of acres of waste land, which have been 
for ages, and still continue to be, of little or no benefit to the 
community. 
The greatest obstacle to the cultivation of these lands is the 
want of manure, there being at present a,great insuflicieney vi 
the 
ee ae 
4 
es eal 
ack 
E> ¢ 
re 
