9 "9 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



bushels from a half bushel of seed. The quality is so excellent I 

 should like to know if it is so in other localities. With me they 

 were superior to White Sprout, Harrison, Early Goodrich, Cusco, 

 Garnet Chili, Buckeye, Peachblow and Monitor. 



Salt foe Cattle. 



Mr. Daniel Stevens, Lawsonville, Lorain county, Ohio : I al- 

 ways give my cattle and horses plenty of salt. I do not feed over 

 four quarts of grain per day to horses, unless they are working, 

 then I give six. I also furnish my horses with sods in winter, as 

 all domestic animals enjoy eating dirt. Salt I consider a necessity. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — I have some anijnals upon my farm 

 which probabh^ never tasted salt. I do not think it a necessitj'. 

 My stock does as well Avilhout as with. 



The Chairman thought it was because this farm was M'ithin the 

 influence of the salt water. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — What then do you think of m}^ case ? 

 When I lived near the head of Lake Michio-an there was one 

 winter a dearth of salt in the country. The farm stock generally 

 had none for six months. My own never did better. I think 

 that was the case generally. Up to that time I had been a great 

 advocate of salting. Since, I have doubted its necessity. 



Dr. Suodgrass thought it was necessary because animals are all 

 fond of it. See how deer run after salt licks. 



Mr. P. T. Quinn. — I am not satisfied that we can dispense with 

 salt. I know if it is neglected my horses are apt to get olf their 

 feed. 



Dr. Trimble. — There is no certain proof either way upon this 

 question. There was a time when salt was a very scarce com- 

 modity west of the Alleghanies. Cattle brought from there often 

 died, and I know the farmers of Chester county, Pa., thought it 

 was not because they had not been accustomed to eating salt. 

 Whether it is of any benefit or not, I should prefer to feed it to my 

 stock for the mere pleasure of seeing them eat it. 



Dr. Grant. — Cattle, when fed in winter upon dry np-land haj', 

 really need l)ut little salt, and as it increases their appetite for 

 water in cold weather its advantages are doubtful. 



SqUANKUM MAliL. 



Mr. Solon Roljinson. — I want to announce to the club that the 

 power of steam machiner}' has been brought to operate in the busi- 



