Extracts from Communications to the Society* 303 



May^ 1825. — Thomas VVistar, Jr. of Montgomery 

 County, Pennsylvania, stated in a letter to Dr. Mease, 

 that " in the Autumn of lfc;22, he purchased a sow pig, 

 with the intention of keeping her for a breeder. On the 

 24th of the 11th Month, she had a litter of seven pigs, 

 and on the 27th of the same month, another litter of five, 

 which were found dead. In the Summer of the follow- 

 ing year, he was in daily expectation of another litter, but 

 no pigs appeared. After the period had passed, when 

 she ought to have furrowed, she refused all food, and 

 shortly became extremely ill, with but little prospect of 

 her living, for several days. A discharge of matter also 

 took place, and continued, occasionally, until the 11th 

 Month, accompanied by a loss of nearly all her hair. It 

 being now evident, that it would be useless to preserve 

 her any longer as a breeder, she was put with his store 



down coarse salt to the acre. The wheat was strikingly benefit- 

 ed, and became equal to the best of the crop On which no salt 

 had been sown ; though when I strewed the salt, the parts where- 

 on it was spread were evidently inferior and unpromising. 

 The whole field produced an excellent crop, it having been 

 limed and dunged. Noio, (September,) the clover and orchard 

 grass on the salted parts are indubitably better, in colour and 

 verdure, than they show in the other portions of the field. 1 at- 

 tribute my having any grass on the salted parts, (which before 

 salting looked very discouraging,) to the effects of that applica- 

 tion. I occasionally turn in my dairy cows, and some fatting 

 steers, into the field. They undeviatingly leave the unsalted 

 parts and browze on those salted ; although the grass looks gene- 

 rally good ; and its appearance throughout the field inviting. 

 The long and unprecedented drought we have passed through, 

 appeared, from time to time as I viewed them, to have the most 

 injurious effect on the unsalted parts; v/hich, during the dry wea- 

 ther, looked sickly and unthrifty : compared with the grass on the 

 parts on which salt had been strewed. 



September, 1825, R. Peters.] 



