On Salt as a Manure. 97 



i L r • "• .III — 



nearly double, and that this kind of manure would be 

 congenial with any soil. Salt and ashes applied to a stiff, 

 clayey soil, will destroy all its adhesive qualities, and 

 render it as easy of cultivation, and as productive as the 

 richest loam. 



I now, sir, shall conclude these remarks in the strong 

 and appropriate lang:uage of the excellent Hollinshead. 



''Agriculture," says he, "is the most certain 

 source of domestic riches. Where it is neglected, what- 

 ever wealth may be imported from abroad, poverty and 

 misery will abound at home. Such is, and ever will be, 

 the fluctuating state of trade and manufactures, that thou- 

 sands of people may be in full employment to day, and 

 in beggary to-morrow. But this can never happen to 

 those who cultivate the ground. They can eat the fruits 

 of their own labour, and can always, by industry, obtain 

 at least the necessaries of life.'^ 

 I am, sir, yours, &c. 



Charles Peirce. 

 Mr. Mathew Carey. 



[I have long been convinced, both from experience and 

 reading, that salt is a most valuable manure. It requires, 

 however, attentive practice to know the quantity proper for 

 an acre, and the kind of soil with which it is most congenial. 

 In a note, (page 177, of our 2d volume) I gave an unfavour- 

 able account of my experiments with 5a//. But since the 

 receipt of Mr. Parke's pamphlet, which, at my request, was 

 published by Mr. Carey, and an extensive distribution of it 

 made by the Society, I have had every satisfactory reason to 

 alter my opinion. My rule has ever been, never to abandon 

 an experiment because a few failures occur, I have frequent- 

 ly profited by perseverance. I have repeatedly spread salt 

 on grass grounds in a variety of modes and quantities, and 

 often on winter grain. Most wonderful effects have some^ 

 times appeared, and often none at all. I cannot yet arrive 

 at the exact quantity required. I have had strips of grass 



