388 



FARMERS' REGISTER— PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. 



more. The salt produces one-third more of corn 

 than the best dung, and its cost is only about 10s. 

 per imperial acre. 



We thus see tliat decomposed salt is suited to 

 every purpose of field and forest manure. But 

 what is this decomposed salt of which so much 

 has been said, and how is it to be obtained so 

 cheaply? We shall give Mr. Kemp's own an- 

 swer to these questions. " I think I have now 

 said enough," says he, "on decomposed salt, to 

 engage the attention of all who are interested in 

 the subject of manures. The reader has probably 

 expected long ago that I should develope the pro- 

 cess whereby tJie new material is prepared. He 

 has, I dare say, concluded that every succeeding 

 page would afiord him the desired information, 

 and 1 admit that such an expectation Avas natural 

 enough previously to his being apprised of my in- 

 tentions. When my letter on the discovery was 

 first published, a good deal of curiosity was pro- 

 duced by it among agriculturists, and many who 

 wrote to me on the subject requested I would fur- 

 nisli them with the particulars necessary to reap 

 advantage from it. I replied, that I was quite 

 prepared to promulgate the plan, but that I con- 

 ceived myself entitled to some remuneration; and 

 added, I was sure they could not expect such ex- 

 clusive disinterestedness on my part, as that I 

 should forego my claim to compensation, while the 

 advantages received by both farmer and proprietor 

 would be of so much importance to them. I would 

 beg now to repeat, that I am confident no reason- 

 able person will feel inclined to charge me with 

 being itn-reasonable for hesitating to give the de- 

 sired information gratuitously. 



"The ^quid pro quo'' is so universally acted on, 

 and is so completely the governing principle in all 

 the transactions of life, that surely there is no room 

 for a feeling of surprise that a amsiderationshowlA 

 be expected for what I am persuaded would be 

 admitted to be of infinitely more value than any 

 pecuniary acknowledgement. No candid or re- 

 flecting mmd will be disposed to cast an imputa- 

 tion ot^selfisliness, when all that is desii-edis mere- 

 ly simple justice." 



We are sorry that Mr. Kemp has taken this 

 determination. We do not impute selfishness or 

 unreasonablenecs to him. Ever)^ sentence of his 

 little book is the production of a candid and liberal 

 mind. But how can he benefit himself by keep- 

 ing the secret in his own bosom ? There are only 

 two ways by which he can secure to hhnseJf the 

 benefit of his discovery, but neither of them will 

 benefit the public. The on© is by keeping his 

 own secret, the disadvantage of which Mr. Kemp 

 no doubt already feels; the other is by manufactur- 

 ing the article himself in some central part of the 

 kingdom, sav London. But, as a commodit}^ 

 which is sold cheaj) cannot afiord to pay a high 

 carriage, the public in the distant parts of the 

 kingdom will derive no benefit froui his valuable 

 discoverjr. As to a patent, it would be universa,l- 

 ly infringed, for the process of making the salt 

 must be simple, otherwise it could not be sold 

 cheap, and to i:)revent the infringement by prose- 

 cutions would be as impracticable as to convict a 

 large mob in a city of a misdemeanor. Mr. Kemp 

 cannot expect a reward fi-om the landed interest, 

 for tliey will not subscribe for a new article whose 

 specific efficacy they have never witnessed. How, 

 then, can h;"" obtain a remuneration lor his discove- 



ry, which it is reasonable he should receive, and 

 the agriculturists at the same time enjoy the bene- 

 fit of It i Our advice to Mr. Kemp is what we 

 ourselves would do under similar circumstances. 



We would at once divulge the secret widely, the 

 more widely the better, and take the chance of' re- 

 muneration. There is no other way of securing 

 the benefits equally to himself and the agricul- 

 turists, and through them to the nation. Parlia- 

 ment cannot truly be charged with illibcrality in 

 grants to private individuals, whose discoveries 

 have benefited the nation. A re^vard was given 

 to a person who invented the making of biscuits 

 tor the navy with machinery. Mr. Macadam 

 also received a Parliamentary reward for introduc- 

 ing the improved mode of making roads. A Par- 

 liamentary grant has been conferred on the gallant 

 Captain Ross, for his intrepidity, suflerings, and 

 discoveries. Mr. Marshall received a handsome 

 remuneration for his valuable statistical tables. 

 Mr. Gurney is at present applying for, and we 

 hope he will obtain, a Parliamentary grant for re- 

 solving the important problem, that steam carriages 

 can travel on common roads. Now Mr. Kemp's 

 discovery, if it supports the character he has 

 given of it, and experience alone can determine 

 that, will be more deserving of a Parliamentary re- 

 ward than any of these meritorious individuals, 

 because it will be vastly more beneficial to the na- 

 tion than any of these circumstances enumerated, 

 important as thej' all are in their respective spheres. 

 But should Parliament purposely neglect the 

 claims of Mr. Kemp, from the landed interest 

 " verily he shall have his reward." 



EXTRACTS FROM PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. 



Hanover, September 16, 1834. 



I have carried out veiy little marl yet, only 

 eight or ten loads, from a poor bed which I could 

 get at conveniently. I have had so much ditch- 

 ing and fencing, as to be kept from improving, 

 which I shall have a good chance for, if I can get 

 time to open a bed or two of marl, with more 

 shells than the one above, which I am very sure I 

 have. The fencing is a terrible drawback — I have 

 just paid my slate and county taxes, which I re- 

 gard less by far. A carpenter passed through one 

 of my fences lately, and observed, "if he had one 

 of the rails at his house it would be worth twenty- 

 five cents;" it vv'as a large white oak from the but 

 cut; if he had looked a little closer, he v\'ould have 

 found maple and ash used for the same juirpose — 

 if Vv'e had saw mills convenient, it might be bet- 

 ter to use plank. I am turning oat the })Oorest of 

 my corn ground to grow up in pines to help out — it 

 is possible that my case may be harder than com- 

 mon, but many must be getting very sensitive on 

 this subject. 



Brunswick, October 1, 1834. 



Could you not notice the road law in your pub- 

 lication? If you can, you ought to tell the people 

 that it is an extreme hardship, that a poor man 

 who has no use for a road, and can do all of his 

 travelling and carrying through a piney old field, 

 as well as over a road thirty feet wide — who has 

 but one negro, and not a soul at home to get a 

 stick of wood for his wife and children, should be 



