USE OF MINERAL MANURES. 67 



and Romans — with decided advantage. Our agricultural his- 

 tories tell us that among the ancients it was one of the most 

 valuable manures. When you get among hills as far from the 

 ocean as ours, you will find salt is a beneficial manure ; but you 

 must not use it on our fields as you would use it on an aspara- 

 gus bed. No man would use guano as he uses oth^er manures. 

 You cannot use superphosphates as you use any other manures. 

 You cannot use any mineral manures as you use barnyard ma- 

 nures. They must be used with great caution. I apprehend 

 that salt used as we use barnyard manure, would be injurious ; 

 but if used with discretion, on certain soils, there is no doubt 

 that it will be of great benefit. Take a country like this, 

 where oats are a valuable crop. One of the greatest complaints 

 among farmers is, that they do not stand up ; and what is the 

 reason ? The reason is that the silicate in the soil is exhausted. 

 If you apply salt, and restore that, you will find that your oats 

 will not fall down. When salt is properly applied to our soils, 

 you will find that a stiffiiess is given to the grain, and that it is 

 beneficial in that respect. 



Nitre from the powder-houses has been used in Connecticut, 

 and in some parts of Massachusetts, with great advantage. No 

 more luxuriant crops can be produced by any known fertilizers, 

 than by the proper use of these saline manures. 



Salt is also beneficial in destroying cut worms, which so much 

 trouble us with our vegetables. It is useful, also, as we know, 

 in connection with lime and peat. I apprehend, therefore, that 

 we cannot condemn the use of salt as a manure. It may not 

 be of so much service in some parts of the country as in others, 

 but there is no doubt that in many sections, and especially here, 

 it is a valuable manure. 



But after all, in the discussion of mineral manures, we must 

 concede this, — that whatever value they may have, they come in, 

 as a general thing, only in aid of the manures wliich we ought 

 to make upon our own farms. There is no succedanewn that 

 will take the place of barnyard manures, properly made and 

 properly composted, the liquids as well as the solids carefully 

 preserved ; because, when that manure is properly applied to 

 the land, you get all the benefits you can get from any or all 

 the mineral manures together. You have there, probably, the 

 most perfect manure that can be made ; and you will find that 

 8 



