MANURES AND FERTILISERS. 33 



The Use of Salt. If used in moderation, rough 

 agricultural salt may with advantage be applied to 

 all except stiff clay soils, and should be put on, after 

 digging in winter or early spring, at the rate of 2 to 

 3 Ibs. to 30 square yards. It is especially useful for 

 green crops of the cabbage family, beet, and as a 

 top-dressing for asparagus and sea-kale. Salt has 

 certain mammal properties, but it is also beneficial 

 on account of the chemical action it promotes in the 

 soil, one effect being the liberation of valuable potash 

 which might otherwise remain locked up in the soil 

 and be unavailable to the crops. It also has a good 

 physical effect on a dry sandy soil. It is better to 

 withhold salt from stiff clay land because of the 

 unfavourable mechanical effect which it has on soil 

 of this nature. 



Liquid Manure. This may be made in a tub or 

 barrel, varying the amount of solid material to suit 

 the size of the barrel, but on the basis of 1 stone 

 of poultry or sheep manure to about 40 gallons of 

 water, producing a liquid which may be used with 

 only a little further dilution for all established plants. 



The manure is best placed in a sack, which should 

 be suspended from a stick laid across the top of the 

 barrel ; it can then be plunged up and down occasion- 

 ally to liberate and distribute the food materials. 

 The barrel should be kept well filled with water, and 

 the manure renewed at intervals of two to three 

 weeks according to the quantity of liquid used. 

 Liquid manure may be said to have this advantage, 

 that it can be given very weak at first and gradually 

 followed up in a slightly stronger degree as the plants 

 become accustomed to it. Further, it presents to 



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