SALT ON CROPS. 117 



to get it out of the way, vrns not followed. That class of 

 farmers held with derision the idea that it would over be neces- 

 sary to manure what they termed an inexhaustible soil. My 

 idea, which time has proved correct, was that the rich surface 

 soil formed by decaying of grass for ages would become non- 

 productive by cultivation without rest or manure, — therefore 

 from the first all offal was returned to the land as fast as pos- 

 sible. From the beginning it gave satisfactory results on 

 the new land, apparently domesticating the soil to the vari- 

 ous crops. In a few 3'ears adjoining land fell off a large per 

 cent, in the amount of production, while I had the satisfac- 

 tion of realizing that mine retained nearly the original fertility. 

 The exhaustion of the soil in one direction by the continuous 

 cultivation, without rest or refreshment, was first seriously felt 

 in the failure of the wheat crop. The looseness of the new 

 soil was unfavorable to the wintering of Winter wheat, which 

 was abandoned entirely for Spring wheat, but this in a few 

 years began to decline in 3'ield and quality until the crop was 

 generally considered an unprofitable one, and was nearly 

 abandoned. On land that was manured and cared for in the usual 

 manner, it failed to ripen as in former years. Tliis led me to 

 the conviction that an element in the soil had been exhausted, 

 which rest and barnyard manure only partially restored. By 

 the experiment of our best farmers, it was found that 



SALT SOWN BROADCAST ON THE YOUNG PLANT 



restored the lost qualities and brought the soil near its former 

 standard. The effect produced is that wheat grows firmer in the 

 straw, is free from the watery substance that produces rust, 

 and that it ripens slowly as in former years, thus giving the 

 berry time to mature. Parasites attack sickly plants as well 

 as animals, and it has been demonstrated fully that chintz bugs 

 do not attack wheat on which salt has been sown, as soon or 

 as badly as that which is grown without it. During the past 

 few years, I have not omitted to sow on my wheat from a bushel 

 and a half to two busliels of fine clean salt per acre, and since 

 following that rule I have not failed to raise from eighteen to 



