ESSEX SOCIETY. 39 



operations wrought upon surrounding materials by the wonder- 

 ful powers with which life and growth appear to have endued 

 them. 



GARDNER B. PERRY, Chairman. 



On the uses of Salt in Cultivation. 



At the present day, many are turning their attention to the 

 use of this article as a fertilizer, as well as a top-dressing in or- 

 chards for the destruction of insects. We commenced our exper- 

 iments upon the use of salt and saline substances in 1828, par- 

 ticularly with the plum-tree, and have been successful, not only 

 in having good crops of fruit from that time to the present, but also 

 rendering (in connection with clay) our soil — which was natu- 

 rally of a light and sandy loam, subject to drought — one of a 

 more retentive and prolific nature. We have also used brine 

 upon the gooseberry and current bushes, for the destruction of 

 insects, with decided benefit, by dissolving salt in water in the 

 proportion of one pound to about four gallons. We, however, 

 proportion this mixture according to the state of the plant ; thus, 

 for the gooseberry, we applied, early in spring, before the shoots 

 or leaves were at all developed, a decoction so strong as to 

 whiten the branches, without any perceptible injury to the fruit ; 

 but if deferred until the growth commences, we use it much 

 weaker. 



On the effect of sea-sand we have had some experience, hav- 

 ing, in the fall of 1841, drawn from the shore eight to ten horse- 

 cart loads, and placed them upon a quarter of an acre of light, 

 sandy loam ; it was then spread over the surface and ploughed 

 in. The spring following, (April 13th) we sowed half a bushel 

 of peach-seed (the stones being first cracked) in drills. These 

 came up well, and, upon the first week in September following, 

 we budded several hundreds of the trees. These averaged 

 larger than any seedlings we had previously seen ; many of 

 them measured an inch through at the butt, and this season we 

 have taken fruit from the unbudded ones, consisting of seventy- 

 five varieties. 



