







188 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE 



mishap. Baron Mertens was also desirous of ascertain- 

 ing whether the reduced price of salt in England had led 

 to a greater consumption of it for agricultural purposes 

 generally. There was one point, also, to which he wished 

 to call the attention of the meeting, namely, whether ani- 

 mals of vigorous constitution, and in high condition from 

 being supplied with a great variety of nutritious food, 

 are affected either favourably or unfavourably by the use 

 of salt when already submitted to a heating or exciting 

 alimentation? — Professor Way referred to the Com- 

 missions of the French and Prussian Governments for 

 inquiring into results obtained in this country from the 

 agricultural employment of common salt. He had 

 not himself seen their respective reports, but he had 

 believed they were unfavourable to fiscal measures 

 for a cheaper importation of that article of com- 

 merce into their respective countries. The salt 

 companies had also directed much attention to the ap- 

 plication of this article of their manufacture to the uses 

 of the farmer, with a view to increase its consumption. 

 The evidence adduced in all these cases had been of a 

 very conflicting character ; but he thought local circum- 

 stances had much to do with the results, in reference to 

 atmosphere, soil, and the character of vegetation. Inland 

 districts might receive benefit from an application of 

 salt, which would be superfluous, and even injurious, to 

 those situate near the coast and within range of the 

 saline vapours of the sea. He considered the comities, 

 for instance, of Gloucestershire and Somersetshire within 

 such influence. He believed salt did good on chalk ; 

 not indeed as common salt, but in consequence of the 

 decomposition effected in it by the chalk, and the two 

 new compounds which resulted from tnat double chemi- 

 cal action ; namely, muriate of lime, a deliquescent salt, 

 retaining moisture on the chalky soil imbued with it, 

 and carbonate of soda, a salt useful in many cases in pro- 

 moting the growth of plants or the decomposition of 

 animal matter. The fishery salt employed with so 

 much success by Mr. Fisher Hobbs, contained not mere 

 salt, but also animal matter, on the advantage of which 

 no doubt existed, and oily matter, on the action and ad- 

 vantage of which there was much difference of opinion, 

 although. Dr. Hunter, of York, regarded it as the great 

 principle of the pabulum of plants, when united with 

 alkalies into a soapy compound, soluble in water, and 

 capable of being taken up by their organs of nutrition. 

 Turnips, Beet, and other roots contained a large amount 

 of salt in their natural composition, which was accordingly 

 token in at the rate of something like half-a-pound a 

 day by the animals feeding upon them ; while the Grasses 

 were almost entirely free from that saline ingredient 

 He thought the subject of the agricultural use of salt an 

 important one for special discussion on some future 

 occasion ; and should it be the wish of the Council for 

 him to deliver a lecture before the Society in the month 

 ©t May next, he would willingly make this topic a leading 

 one in such lecture, if such introduction should nieel 

 with the approval of the Council. -Sir Thomas Acland 

 remarked that it was an acknowledged fact in the west of 

 England that corn grown on the north coast of Cornwall 

 •and several miles inland from it, not only fetched the 

 best prices, but made better and lighter bread than the 

 corn grown in other parts of that district. That effect 

 had been attributed to the briny matter brought on that 

 coast and its neighbouring county by the heavy gales 

 from the Atlantic Ocean, to which that portion of the 

 west of England was most exposed. In proof of the 

 extent to which the briny exhalations from the sea 

 could be carried by the wind under such circumstances, 

 he adduced the instance of Lord Clinton's residence 

 which, though situate 20 miles from that element, had 

 sometimes its windows covered with saline incrustations 

 alter a storm from the west.— Mr. Karkeek, in his prize 

 essay on the agriculture of Cornwall [Journal, vi., 439), 

 makes the followinor r^f^^^Tioo +/* *v.;« „„i:„„ • ____ .. /y \ 





the causes of rust, undertaken some years ago in this 

 country, and afterwards continued at different periods 

 on the Continent, it also appeared that it was never 

 experienced in the immediate vicinity of the sea, unless 

 when the ground was greatly over-manured ; and also, 

 that when sea-ooze or sand was employed as a manure, 

 rust was prevented. Mr. Fisher Hobbs believes he was 

 himself the first to introduce this fishery salt into the 

 eastern counties, his attention having been drawn to it 

 about four years ago by his friends, the Messrs. Bolitho, 

 merchants, of Penzance, who informed him that this 

 salt contained 1 per cent, of oil, and from 10 to 20 per 

 cent, of scales and other fishy remains, and was greatly 

 superior to common salt for agricultural purposes ge- 

 nerally, but more especially for stiffening the straw of 

 Barley. ^ Mr. Hobbs being satisfied with the nature of 

 the salt in question, and the oils and animal matter which 

 it contained, that it must be superior to common salt, 

 although not of higher price, at once ordered a cargo of 

 it to Colchester, consisting of from 80 to 100 tons, and 

 he had since that time had several similar cargoes for 

 himself and his friends, through Mr. Purser, of New 

 Bridge-street, Blackfriars, the manager of the London 

 Manure Company. Mr. Fisher Hobbs had applied this 

 salt to all his Wheat lands before sowing the grain, at 

 the rate of 2 cwt. per acre, but at different times, 

 namely, 1 cwt. before ploughing, and 1 cwt. after plough- 

 ing, but before depositing the seed. He had found this 

 plan better than that of applying, all the salt at once, as 

 the salt became thus more intimately intermixed with 

 the soil. He had tried 2 cwt. of guano per acre, mixed 

 with the same quantity of the salt, as a dressing for 

 Wheat, and found it very beneficial. He had also ap- 

 plied 2 cwt. per acre of the fishery salt, with farm-yard 

 dung, for root crops — especially for Mangold-Wurzel 

 and Cabbages— and found the mixture very effective. 

 He knew an instance where 2 cwt. of the salt was last 

 year used for Wheat, not far from the eastern coast 

 of Essex, and the increase of produce obtained was 

 3 bushels per acre. Mr. Hobbs considered salt very 

 beneficial for agricultural purposes, when judiciously 

 applied, but injurious when used in excess. He gave 

 an instance of such abuse in the case of his own bailiff, 

 who, having on one occasion incautiously applied 5 cwt. 

 per acre to his Turnips, entirely destroyed the crop. In 

 reference to the use of salt in the case of animals, he re- 

 marked that while he preferred the fishy refuse for 

 application to land, he used rock salt for all the live 

 stock on his farm excepting pigs, for which he employed 

 common household salt, boiled up with meal and Pota- 

 toes for their food. For his horses, cattle, and sheep, 

 he invariably used rock salt with success ; the two 

 former had always free access to it in their mangers, 

 and the sheep in their troughs. In wet weather the 

 sheep would take a larger quantity of it than in dry 

 weather. In a flock of 200, one-half of which had access 

 to salt, while the other half were debarred from it, the 

 losses among those which had no salt were found to be 

 from 3 to 5 per cent, greater than among those which 

 had salt, when feeding on green crops, or food of too 

 succulent a nature. From some cases, however, which 

 had occurred in his own experience, he was inclined to 

 agree with Baron Mertens in believing that in the case of 

 horses and cattle, as well as of sheep, the free use of salt 

 had probably a tendency to produce abortion. He re- 

 garded salt generally as a stimulant and deobstruent, 

 which purified the blood. In conclusion, he considered 

 this subject well worthy of a distinct appointment for 

 discussion at some future time ; he should then be pre- 

 pared to show the superior power of fish salt in destrov- 

 mg insects, compared with that of common salt— Pro- 

 fessor Simonds could bear testimony to the legitimate 

 use of salt. He thought all the objections he had heard 



!??J!^^?i^ ^sns^s 



fM 



AR. go 



natives of arid regions ; and hersn^ii^^vS 

 remarks of Mungo Park on fe^ * ^ 

 in the Interior of Africa," where rtf^V^Z 

 and when a lump of it was obtained i ? M * P**I 

 the children of the torrid zone with as J*t ^*5 

 as sugar-candy would be by the children oTl^ 1 ^ 

 and temperate climates. We mav h* »il™*J^ 



to 

 and ardent promoter of African dvX^I!^ ^^S 

 tionof Dr. Calvert's reference *o the ^': n m M «* 

 In the second chapter of his narrat ^ Mr V*?*- 

 allusion to the articles of merchandise supped l** 9 * 

 slave-merchants, and to the system of ban 7 ^ 

 them and the natives, remarks :— « I n navirTn* T*** 

 articles the maritime states surmlv^ EZ2 nt of *«* 



countrie. 



journey, 

 ever, are 



course 

 article 



also supplied to the inland natives bv 7" 

 10 obtain it from the salt-pits in the P± 

 Desert, and receive in return corn, cotton-cWh , 

 slaves » In his 24th chapter he further Xt* fi 

 scarcity and value of salt, in the following pal!^ 

 In the interior countries the greatest of all \u^Z 

 sal It would appear strange to a European to^e! 

 child suck a piece of rock-salt as if it were su«ar XL 

 however, I have frequently seen ; although b the jrfS 

 parts the poorer class of inhabitants are so very 3 

 indulged with this precious article, that to sav ' «T ' 

 eats salt with his victuals ' is the same as saying ' h7^ 

 a rich man.' I have myself suffered great inconvenient 

 from the scarcity of this article. The long use of ve«! 

 table food creates so painful a longing for salt that n 

 words can sufficiently describe it." He thought tk 

 abuse of salt no argument against its legitimate use It 

 was a stimulant, and, as such, would promote digestion 

 in animals.— The Chairman concurred with the members 

 who had favoured the Council with the results of their 

 experience, that a future discussion on this subject 

 might prove of much importance. 



The Council then adjourned to Wednesday, the 1 9th 

 of March. 



A Weekly Council was held at the Society's House 

 in Hanover-square on Wednesday last, the 19th of 

 March ; present, Mr. Raymond Barker, Vice-President, 

 in the Chair ; Lord Ashburton, Hon. R. H. Clive, M.P., 

 Sir Charles Lemon, Bart., M.P., Don Domingo Savignon, 

 Mr. Hodgson Barrow, M.P., Mr. Bastard, Rev. E. R. 

 Benyon, Mr. Bosanquet, Mr. W. G. Cavendish, M.P., 

 Mr. Dyer, Mr. Fisher Hobbs, Mr. Majendie, Mr. 

 Marshall, M.P., Mr. Parish, Mr. Pendarves, M.P., 

 Mr. Rowlandson, Mr. Sanford, Mr. Serjeantson, Prof. 

 Sewell, Mr. Shelley, Prof. Simonds, Mr. A. Smith, Mr. 

 Crompton Stansfield, M.P.. Dr. Thomson. Mr. W. H. 

 Walker, and Prof. Way. 



The following new Members were elected : 



i 



Davy, Edward, the Park, Crediton, Devon 

 Alison, Henry, Park Hall, Chorley, Lancashire 

 Jones, Harvey Bowen, 49, Montagu-square, London. 



The names of nine candidates for election at the next 

 meeting were then read. 



The Council having instructed the Secretary in what 

 manner to acknowledge the communications then laid 

 before them, and to what department respectively to 

 refer them, adj ourned, after a short sitting, to Wednes- 

 day next, the 26th of March. 



Farm Memoranda 



makes the following reference to this ^l.WimArl;'n„,-M g -- y l* 7 f gainst tlle abuse ofi Mnd hi its being 



and deposition, whfch elucidate? hTremSZ ffi™ f ™1 2 t0 ° k f ge pities to animals > or applied 

 TmWs Adand ,n/nTr ter S rkso , fbollSir t0 ° fr eely to the land. On the conWv . wi,;i„ 



and deposition which elucidates the remarks of both Sir 

 Thomas Acland and Prof. Way - « The salt of the 

 ocean can be detected by the taste on the blades of Grass 

 m the northern parts of the county, full 10 miles from 

 the sea-shore. The application of sea salt is found™ 

 act beneficially on soils in some inland counties, but it 

 is seldom found of any service on those of Cornwall 

 -tins seeming anomaly is thus accounted for. There 

 cannot be a doubt that most of our plants in Cornwall 

 get quite enough of this substance, without applying it 

 in the shape of a manure ; for when the ocean dashes 

 with violence against the rocks, and the crests of the 

 waves are white with foam, the winds carry away e 

 spray, drifting ,t along in clouds, and sprinkling it over 

 the , surface of the land." Mr. Dyer could connrm Zl 

 Way s remark on the value of salt on chalk soils. He 

 had also found great benefit to his sheep from allowing 

 hem to have lumps of salt to lick.-Mr. Bkale Trowv 

 had used equal quantities of salt and limf whh 

 advantage as a manure. - Mr. Fisher Hobbs Tad 

 employed the refuse salt of the pilchard fisherS wSh 

 much success._ Some years **<> ;♦ i..j .*?_ " , .. 



at ntion 



College 



properties 



of this kind. 



Paris 

 iciansY 



freely to the land. On the contrary, while 

 many plants were benefited by small quantities, 

 others had so natural an appetite for such saline 

 application, that it could not be given to them in 

 excess. He instanced Seakale and Asparagus as plants 



m a. Salt in the animal economy had a great 

 influence in promoting digestion and assimilation of the 

 ood. _ He agreed with Mr. Hobbs, that sheep fed on too 

 luxuriant Grasses, without being at the same time sup- 

 plied with salt did badly. The salt corrected the in- 

 jurious effect of the food, and promoted the secretion of 

 bile Salt marshes, he believed, never rotted sheep ; 

 while wet pastures and their coarse food invariably 

 were found to do so. In the Royal Veterinary College 

 the horses were constantly allowed to have a lump of 

 salt by them ; and when he was himself in country 

 practice he had salt sprinkled over the hay in the ricks 

 and found it very valuable for horses, sheep, and cows 

 Me thought it a very important question for the con- 

 sideration of the Council.— Mr. Overman, as far as his 

 experience had gone, could not agree with Professor 

 bimonds in regarding the salting of hay a good practice ; 

 lie had himself found it a bad one. He had found great 



the horses to have it by them to 



His 

 Seven 



juoperxies in preventing rust in com * *,„„ ««»nuuige in allowing me Horses to have t by them to 



rally attributed * thf Varying TaUes of t hf "!" £" 2 ° r n0t aS ^ felt inclined ' bu * noV o"or e 



mosphere. It had b* n , Drf Paris sS £ ^ them to eat U with their ha y- He thought it good Z 



^^^^^■"^n^to^i&^^S r m Tf f ° r **?*"■ a PP lied - moderation. K 



farmers -^•»'»«M about 30'bushels 



vious to the sowing of Turnips ; .^iT^E; 

 they never had any rust on the followui cron^f Wh * 



rrSf?H th K 9 T ad ° pted ' th ° Ugh **« ^ey it g Te a tlv 

 affected by 1 1 ; a statement to which Mr. Fren^S* 



Adds, that in the course of a vow „.; ' ^*. _ B, ?* e 



marshes 



never, he believed, any mildew on them Dr Calvert 



considered salt in moderation as beneficial ; it rendered 

 herbage savoury to cattle, and prevented the decompo- 

 sition of root crops. As long as the salt was not forced 

 on the animals, but only laid in their way, instinct 

 would direct them at what times to take it, and in 

 what amount Dr. Calvert refcmui +~ *u 7 «„:^__ 



Mr. Hudson's Farm at Castleacre.— I went some 

 time since to Castleacre, to visit my friend Mr. Hudson, 

 whose name and writings are well known in the agricul- 

 tural world ; and I need not say I met with a most 

 kind, liberal, and unostentatious reception. It is 28 

 years since Mr. Hudson took the Castleacre farm, under 

 Lord Leicester (then Mr. Coke), after having cancelled 

 five years of the old lease, by which he lost 500/ 

 rent was then 15WL per annum for 1400 acres. ^ — 

 years ago the lease was renewed for 21 years, at 16ffl> 

 per annum — a fair rent at that time ; but when we 

 consider that the saleable value of the estate has been 

 increased by Mr. Hudson's industry and outlay to the 

 extent of not less than 10,000/., it is to be presumed 

 that he would get a renewal of his lease on liberal terms ; 

 or otherwise that he may, during the next seven years, 

 endeavour to withdraw from the land some reasonable 

 portion of the capital he has invested in it. Mr. Hudson 

 referred to his books to show that during his tenan< ? 

 he has laid out in oil-cake and artificial manures 55,000/. 

 The oil-cake is laid on the land after passing through 

 his cattle in the act of feeding them, but still it is money 

 laid out in manure. This year his outlay is for 200 tons 

 of Linseed-cake, at 61. 10s. per ton, 1250/. ; ^ tons 

 of Peruvian guano, 560/. ; nitrate of soda, sulphuretted 

 bones, &c, about 400?. more ; besides Egyptian Lentu>, 

 Indian corn, &c, &c, for feeding purposes. H e > 

 now feeding cattle as the quack advertisers would te^ 

 us, namely, on Revalenta arabica, which is said to 

 ground Egyptian Lentils, to the number of 160 beas, 

 besides 100 of lean stock and cows, all of which *ui 

 turned into cash by May-day. They are lodged in 

 straw-yards, with sheds all round the quadrangle, 

 all abundantly supplied with food and water. >> } u ^ 

 cattle associate a good many growing pigs. ^ ' 

 quick enough to pick up a living amongst their ** . 

 Mr. Hudson is preparing three beautiful Devon - 

 for the Smithfield show. They appear smaU muiwjj 

 but of excellent form and quality, and the fattest ^ 

 is estimated to weigh 90 score, which at orf. P 









