1S46.] Salt a Fertilizer. ' 75 



road, soil similar to his own, who planted them the usual way, 

 and the consequence was, his crop was small, inferior in quality, 

 and most of them rotted soon after digging — they were diseased. 



Dr. Bogart, who has charge of the Sailor's Snug Harbor, on 

 Staten Island, informed the writer that he applied four bushels of 

 packing salt to one acre of his potatoe ground, last spring, and 

 thinks he derived great benefit from it. Though the crop was not 

 a large one, the potatoes on the salted portion were of much 

 greater size, skin smooth, and free from disease. The vines were 

 more vigorous, remained green while those on land of the same 

 quality adjoining, which was not salted, shriveled and dried pre- 

 maturely ; the tubere small and watery ; produce less. 



E. M. Stone, in a late number of the N. E. Farmer, says: — 

 " Last spring I tried an experiment on potatoes. I planted in my 

 garden fifty or sixty hills, placing the sets directly on the manure. 

 To about one-half of the hills I applied a table spoonful of salt, 

 after slightly covering the seed to prevent immediate contact. I 

 then finished covering. The hills so treated, yielded potatoes en- 

 tirely free from blemish, and of excellent quality. The produce 

 of the residue was badly affected by rust (or scab) and worms, 

 and was hardly worth harvesting." 



Professor Morren also directs attention to the importance of 

 salt as a means of repelling the disease. He recommends the 

 tubers to be placed in a steep composed of 54 lbs. of lime, 7 lbs. 

 salt, and 25 gallons water. 



Mr. J. E. Teschemacher, speaking of the potatoe disease, in 

 the N. E. Farmer, says: — "I think that salt, lime, and several 

 chemicals will destroy the disease. I prefer salt, because when 

 mixed in the soil, it may get into the juices, and circulate through 

 the whole plant. Lime, or lime-water, would do the same, to a 

 certain extent, but it is far less soluble than salt." 



The following very interesting detailed experiment with salt, 

 was communicated in the 9th Vol. and 5th No. of the Cultivator, 

 by J. C. Mather, a very intelligent and spirited farmer of Scagh- 

 ticoke. He says ; — " In the spring of 1838, we broke up six 

 acres of sward land that had been mowed a number of years, in- 



