18-4 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



up. Each fleece should be placed regularly with the 

 hantla, and then stamped down as compactly as 

 possible, so that the bnle, when completed, shall be 

 hard and well iilled in every part. The bulk of a 

 given weight of wool will bo greatly affected by the 

 care with which tliis process is performed. 



Those who do not expect buyers to come and look 

 at their wool, sack it immediately after shearing. A 

 temporary scaffolding is erected near the wool, as 

 deposited by the tier, and one man tosses up fleeces 

 to a second, who catches them, and passes thcni down 

 to the man in the sack. A light frame, to suspend 

 the sack, and, part way up it, a standing-place for the 

 catcher, would be a convenient appendage to the es- 

 tablishment of a wool-grower who does not store his 

 wool in a wool-room. With a set of stairs up to his 

 midway standing-place, an active fellow would keep 

 tlie treader supplied, without any assistance. 



BENEFITS OF SALT AS MANURE. 



We have recently been perusing several European 

 articles, detailing experiments made with salt as 

 Tnanure, and from them we have made the following 

 brief synopsis of its utility : — 



It attracts the humid vapors and repels frost, and 

 thus assists in keeping the laud moist in dx-y weather, 

 and warm in cold. It keeps every thing in the soil 

 in a soft and soluble state, and assists to digest and 

 prepare the food for vegetable nutrition. It destroys 

 many kinds of vermin and weeds, and usually in- 

 creases the amount of the crop one fourth to one 

 third ; strengthens the growth of every thing to 

 ■which it is applied, and brings all crops earlier to 

 the harvest. It generally adds from live to seven 

 bushels per acre to the yield of wheat used in the 

 most moderate quantity, and in all kinds of grain 

 makes more car and less straw. Mr. Cieorge Sinclair 

 '•btained at Woburn, on plots of thirty-six square 

 feet, at the rate of seventy to ninety-five bushels of 

 Avheat per acre, by the use of salt mixed with other 

 manures. It is found equally beneficial to pasture 

 as well as root crops, sweetening all vegetation, and 

 making it more wholesome for man and beast. It is 

 a great safeguard against blast, rust, mildew, and 

 indeed all the diseases of grain and vegetables. 



Salt is inoperative applied near the sea-shore, where 

 s"alt water spray is already in excess on the land ; but 

 every where else it is beneficial. It may be used at 

 the rate of five or forty bushels per acre, though ten 

 or twenty bushels ai-e better. It can be sown broad- 

 cast on the land, or be incorporated in the manure or 

 compost heap. Mr. Prideaux informs us, that mixed 

 with lime and its compounds, it imdergoes decompo- 

 sition, producing soda or its combination with car- 

 bonic acid, or with humus ; all more powerful 

 digesters and feeders than the salt itself; and the 

 muriate of lime, Avhich has the strongest attraction 

 for moisture of almost any thing known. Salt and 

 lime work vegetable matters to decay quicker than 

 salt alone. With gypsum it will supply soda and 

 sulphuric acid cheaper than any other material, be- 

 sides the muriate of lime, so valuable for its moist- 

 ening quality. — American Agriculturist. 



IIem.viiks r,Y tue Editor New England Farmer. 



As to the quantity of salt to the acre, much depends 

 on the crop, and sufficient experiments have not been 

 made to settle this subject in every respect. Aspar- 

 agus requires more salt than most other vegetables, 

 as it is a marine plant. It will bear one hundred 

 and sixty bushels to the acre, and be greatly bene- 

 fited by the application ; yet it may not be profitable 



to apply so much. Plum-trees require more salt 

 than other trees. Cabbages and turnips are much 

 benefited by salt, and will bear rather a large 

 quantity. 



Corn and beans have floui-ished well where we 

 have planted them on lands overflowed by salt water 

 at the time of high tides in spring and fall ; but on 

 the same land potatoes were inferior, just as far as 

 the salt water extended. We need further and 

 more definite experiments to show the utility of salt 

 in agriculture, and determine what crops are most 

 benefited by its application. 



HYDROPATHY IN VETERINARY PRAC- 

 TICE. 



Friend Bateham : I presume j'ou will not con- 

 sider suggestions in this branch of the medical pro- 

 fession as foreign to the objects of the Cultivator. 

 It is but a few years since the vu-tues of cold water 

 in the curative art were made known to the world. 

 That aqueous applications are among the most effec- 

 tual means of curing many diseases, can no longer 

 be doubted by the intelligent. 



But the hydropathic practice should not be con- 

 fined to human animals ; for no doubt it may be 

 made available in the cui-e of various diseases that 

 afflict domestic animals. As proof of this, I will state 

 a case that occurred last summer under my own ob- 

 servation. Our kind and intelligent horse, that had 

 secured the good will of the family as well as of all 

 who knew his many excellent qualities, " fell into a 

 decline," and during a period of three months grew 

 more and more feeble, with less and less relish for 

 his food, until he was unable to render the least 

 service, and almost entirely abandoned his oats. His 

 head drooped, his hair lost all its gloss, his eyes 

 their brightness, and he would occasionally tremble, 

 and, worse than all, was afflicted with a cough. No 

 one knew the nature of his disease, though he was 

 suspected to be consumptive. He Avas sent to a vet- 

 erinary practitioner, who bled him and administered 

 medicine without avail. He grew no better, but 

 constantly worse, until the doctor " gave him up," 

 telling his master to turn him out to live or die, as 

 the case might be. Medical science having thus 

 failed to furnish a remedy, it was suggested by a 

 woman, who needs no trumpeter for her intel- 

 ligence and virtue, that the cold water treatment 

 might be successful. " No sooner said than done." 

 Your humble servant volunteered to give the poor 

 horse the wet sheet daily until he should be either 

 better or worse. The time of treatment was at mid- 

 day, as the mornings and evenings were too chilly. 

 Thie mode of application was to take off his blanket, 

 dash upon him cold water, smoothing him down so 

 that it may reach every part of the skin. The patient 

 was thus daily drenched with some ten or fifteen 

 buckets of water, for about two weeks, when he was 

 pronounced well, and up to this day has enjoyed 

 uninterrupted health, and regained, not only his 

 former vivacity, but a little extra life, which has 

 somewhat diminished his popularity, especially with 

 the female portion of his former admirers. 



I thought the above would be of service to some ; 

 and to those who may profit by the treatment, it is 

 entirely welcome. If you will not dub me doctor for 

 thus stepping out of my sphere of impracticability 

 into the practical of life, I shall remain 



IlespectfuUy yours, 



L. A. HINE. 



CiNCIXNATI, Feb., 18i9. 



— Ohio Cultivator. 



