FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 2il 



wide and extensive bodies of fresh water forming the Albe- 

 marle and Pamlico sounds lie between the sea and most of 

 the main land of that State. 



But there is much of our coast, and the contiguous 

 islands, which offer many millions of acres to be benefited 

 by this method of manuring lands. 



The stale of cattle is in part valuable, on account of its 

 containing more or less of common salt, and perhaps in 

 part from its tendency to produce miasma, septon, or azote, 

 some or all of which assist the growth of plants. The older 

 the stale the better it is, as a manure. 



Under SOILING, one method of saving it is mentioned, 

 and another will be spoken of before we close this article. 



Urine from the domicil is still more valuable, as possess- 

 ing the properties of that of cattle, but in a higher degree, 

 and should always be saved in the manner we shall present- 

 ly mention. It has a powerful effect, when sprinkled over 

 grass-grounds. 



Common salt is considered more efficacious, when mixed 

 in composts, than when applied in its crude state to the 

 soil. Mr. Elliot makes mention of five bushels of this ma- 

 nure being sown, in its crude state, on an acre of flax, and 

 that it had a surprising effect. We have seen this crop 

 very much assisted, with the application of only two bushels 

 of it to the acre. 



An intelligent Farmer once observed to us, that during 

 our Revolutionary War, when this article was so dear that 

 he could not afford to give it to his cattle, his barn-dung 

 seemed to be of but little service to his lands ; but that he 

 found the case much altered, wher> he could again afford to 

 deal out a sufficiency of it to his stock. 



We will also here mention a small pamphlet we saw in 

 Maryland, some years since, which was mostly the certifi- 

 cates of Planters of the interior of that State, describing 

 the surprising effects produced on lands there, by sowing a 

 mixture of salt and fine mould upon them; particularly 

 when applied to crops of wheat and flax. 



These lands were such as had become much exhausted, 

 by constant crops of tobacco, and Indian corn; and on which 

 few cattle had ever been raised ; of course little or no salt 

 had ever been given them, since they were cleared. 



We mention these matters, as inducing our belief that 

 some of this ingredient is highly essential to the product- 

 iveness of soils ; and that, where they are long destitute of 

 it, a little may have a powerful effect upon them, as a 

 manure. 



Nor would we confine this observation to common salt 

 alone : We believe it may be applied to all the salts which 

 operate as manures. If too much common salt be, how- 



