244 



THE FARxMERS' KEGISTKH 



attain this end. One thing, however, appears to i they consumeil at the rate of one ton (or every 

 be beyond the reach of dispute, that salt on j thousand sheep annually." Lord Somerville, to- 

 certain soils, and applied in the manner we have j geihcr vviih Mr. Curvven, Sir John Sinclair, and 

 alluded to, and in certain quantities, has a ler- i oihers, all unite in rfcommending the use of salt 

 tilizing tendency. In alluding, however, to the j as a preventive again.^t the dl6ert^es incident to 

 probability of salt becoming a useful auxiliary to | wet siiuations, ami iheir experience almost proves 



the larmer in the cultivation of his crops, we 

 must not overlook the advantages that would 

 result from its more extended application as a 

 condiment and^ingredient in the toud of animals, 

 qualities we apprehend, whicli as yet are very 

 httle understood ; but that li might be so emt)loy- 

 ed with great advantage, ihe lollowing extracts 

 go far to prove. It is stated in the Edinburgh 

 JEncyclopedia, '• That salt given with ihe lood of 

 cattle augments us nourialimeiit. That in [)ro- 

 poriion to ilie ([uaniity of salt euien by cattle, the 

 effects ol' the augmentation are perceiveu. Tliat 

 no ill conse.cjuences l(>llow its use even when given 

 without stint. These pro|)Otfiuons are supported 



the necessiiy of it. Sir John Sinclair, in his Agri- 

 culiurul btaie of the Nelherlanili^, says, "ihat at 

 Mr. Alossel man's farm at Chenoi, beyond Wa- 

 vie, he luund ihat salt was used lor sheep, and 

 that by allowintr them to lick it, ihe rot was 

 etfcciually cured." Mr. Bracehiidge, of Walion- 

 on-Thames, also was induced to drench some 

 sheep, which were aliened with the rot, night and 

 morning with sirontf tirine, alier whicli he did not 

 lose one ; ihey became lai, and the meat was as 

 fine and good as if the animals had never been 

 aHected. " In sirong pastures," otiserves Lord 

 Somerville, " wlien seasons are wet, ihe rot oiien 

 spreads desiruci ion over whole tracts of country ; 



by unquestionable evidence, and ihe trials of very here salt must be beneticial. It is; supposed, and 



many persons. Crau, in the jurisdiction ol Aries, 

 in the couniy of Provence, I ranee, has an exieni 

 ot' six leagues by three, the whole surjiice of 

 which is covered with small rough stones, and not 

 a tree or bush is to be seen upon the whole district, 

 except a very lew scattered on the border : yet on 

 this apparently barren spot, by the Iree use of salt, 

 more numerous Hocks ot sheep are bred and rear- 

 ed than upon any other common ot' equal extent 

 in the kingdom ; and what is not less remarkable, 

 the sheep are liealihier, hardier, and endure the 

 eeveniy of winter with le&s loss than those led 

 and bred on more luxuriant pastures, and that 

 have the advantage of greater shelter. Add lo 

 this, that the wool of the liocks bred and brought 

 up in the Crau is not only the hnesi, but bears 

 the highest price of any in France. It is conclud- 

 ed that these surprising etiecis are consequent 

 upon the unlimited u^e ol salt, lur allowing every 

 excellence that can possibly be sup|)osed inherent 

 in the herbage, yel the quaniity id sosnmil, that 

 without the abundant use ol sali, a lourih pari ol 

 the sheep kepi in the Ciau could not subsist on 

 it." In Spain, where thehnest wool in the v\orld 

 is produced, large quantities ol sail are given to the 

 sheep, to which ihey aunbuie, in a great measure, 

 the hneness ot' the wool. Lord Somerville, who 

 was among llie first to inuoduce the practice ol 

 giving sail to sheep in England, slates, in a com- 

 municaiion with tlie Board of Agricuiiure, that 

 " he purchased 200 Merino sheep m Spam at about 

 221. 10s. each, wliicu he brought to England, and 

 as they had been accustomed to receive sail m 

 Spain, he continued the practice when he brought 

 Ihem to this country, and he also extended ilie 

 practice to his other sheep. His lordship some 

 years afterwards removed from the rich vale ol 

 Taunton, in Somersetshire, to an estate which he 

 had purchased in Surrey ; and this being aligiit, 

 dry, sandy soil, he d:d nji think it necessary to go 

 on at such a large expense, as salt then was so 

 heavily taxed ; but liir some years afterwards he 

 iost many of his young sheep, which he was alter- 

 wards inclined to think might have been saved, 

 had he continued as belbre, to give them salt, and 

 he subsequently reverted to his former mode of 

 giving his sheep their regular supply of this useful 

 ingredient. He says, that sheep require more salt 

 in the autumn and spring months, when the dews 

 are heavier, than in summer or winter, and that 



with great iruih, to correct acidity in the stomach, 

 a disorder common lo sheep even in Spain, bui ol 

 a much more serious nature in the damp climate 

 ol Great Britain, more particularly when stocked 

 on moist green lljod, such as turnips, vetches, and 

 young clover." In Sweden, in Saxony, in Si- 

 iesia, and in France, salt is given to sheep with- 

 out stint, and wiib ihe best results. Now, when 

 we consider ihese unequivocal tesiimonies in fa- 

 vor of the liee n^e of sail, we cannot but express 

 our surprise with Mr. Arthur Young, that '• this 

 prac'ice should he common manHijemeni in ahin'sl 

 every couniiy in the world, England excepted." 



DESULTORY OBSERVATIONS ON THE BANK- 

 ING SYSTEM OF THIS COUNTRY, AND THK 

 EHFECTS OF ITS DIFFKKEM' MODES OF 

 OPERATION. 



Addressed to Ihe consideration of the agricultural 

 interest. 



The great agricultural interest of the United 

 States exceeds noi only each oilier one, but all other 

 interests logeilier, in the number of us members, 

 in results of productive industry, in amount 

 of wealili, and in constitutional and rightlul po- 

 litical power. The agricultural interest indeed is 

 identical with the general interest of the coun- 

 try and nation ; and were it lo exercise its right- 

 ful political power always, (as it does very rare- 

 ly,) lor the advnncement of its own benefit, even 

 that [lurely selfish ofject could not be aitained 

 excepi by advancing the general interest and 

 welliire of the country at large. This lollows, 

 not because of any peculiarity of agricultural 

 pursuits, but simply because agriculture in this 

 country is the greater interest, and all others are 

 minor, and comparatively much smaller interests. 

 Yet, with all its political power, and the mani- 

 fest expediency and propriety of exerting it, the 

 great agricultural interest is continually influ- 

 enced and directed by other classes, acting to 

 forward their respective separate and opposite 

 interests. And thus the general interest, which 

 always agrees with the true interest of the agri- 



