THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



135 



by way of settling this vexed question, to scat- 

 ter common salt on the dung heap, or to water 

 the litter of the stalls well with strong brine, an 

 hour or two before removal. From this mixture, 

 result, it is said, muriate of ammonia and car- 

 bonate of soda. In noticing this suggestion 

 touching the salt, the Editor of the "American 

 Farmer," whose practical experience is worth a 

 hundred theories of the most learned chemists, 

 says, 



" We are not chemist enough to avouch for 

 the action of salt in the manure heap as above 

 described ; but this we can state, that some years 

 back, we bought twenty barrels of rotten fish to 

 use as manure for corn. In each of these bar- 

 rels there were about half a bushel of fish salt, 

 of course, highly charged with the oil of the 

 fish. After using the fish in the hills of corn, 

 one to each, we mixed the salt with ten loads of 

 barn-yard and stable manure, suffering it to 

 remain a few days, when we turned it over 

 with the shovel and gave it a more thorough 

 mixing. We then hauled it out to the field, 

 and spread it on half an acre: on an adjoining 

 half acre, we spread ten other loads of the same 

 manure, but unmixed with salt. We ploughed 

 up the piece of ground and planted the whole 

 in corn. The half acre of corn planted on the 

 ground fertilized with the salted manure, grew 

 from the start more luxuriantly, looked of a 

 darker green throughout the season, and yielded 

 more grain than that on the adjoning half, though 

 the soils were precisely alike, and each had re- 

 ceived the same quantity of barn-yard and sta- 

 ble manure, and the same culture. The blades 

 on the sailed part maintained their greenness 

 until pulled, although those on the other part, 

 when pulled, were considerably fired. It is here 

 worthy of remark that the ears on the former 

 were some days later in hardening. 



" We have stated the above fact ; and with- 

 out referring the result of our experiment, at the 

 time, to any chemical combination between the 

 salt and the ammonia of the manure, we were 

 induced by our observation of the effect pro- 

 duced, to conclude that the salt used, had im- 

 parted to the earth the capacity of attracting from 

 the atmosphere more moisture, as well as that 

 of preserving it longer from the evaporating in- 

 fluence of the sun's rays ; for the surface of the 

 earth always looker!, and was, in fact, much 

 more moist than that of the contiguous piece 

 of ground. W T hat we looked upon at the time 

 as unevaporared dew, may have been the ammo- 

 nia abstracted from the atmosphere, and fixed, 

 through the chemical agency of the salt upon 

 the surface, and there made 10 await absorption 

 by the earth, thence to be taken up by the roots 

 of the plants as nutriment. If this union lakes 



place, and, we have no right to question it, for 

 the result of our experiment would seem to cor- 

 roborate the assumption, salt must form a most 

 valuable acquisition to the dung-heap, as any 

 substance, not too costly, which can give fixed- 

 ness to the eliminating properties of manure — 

 which can prevent the escape of the rich gases — 

 must operate greatly to the advantage of the 

 husbandman, because it would impart to his 

 fertilizing materials, a degree of durability which, 

 alone, they do not possess — and this property of 

 salt, we should think, would be greatly increased 

 in value, in sands and other porous soils, where, 

 as it is known, the effects of manure are much 

 less lasting, owing to the escape of its volatile 

 parts. 



" But whether the chemical action imputed 

 to the salt be as stated, or not, we have no hesi- 

 tation in affirming, that every farmer, who can 

 afford to incur the cost, should procure a few 

 bushels per acre, to mix with his manure in- 

 tended for his corn ground, as it would prevent 

 injury from the cut and grub worm, as was 

 proved by our experiment ; for although ihe 

 corn on that portion of the ground where the 

 unsalted manure was used, suffered greatly 

 from the ravages of these enemies, that on the 

 part where the salted manure was used, escaped 

 wiihout any injury from them. 



" The quantity of salt used by us was greater 

 than we would recommend. It was at the rate 

 of twenty bushels per acre : having it, we used 

 the whole as stated ; but we think that five 

 bushels per acre would have answered equally 

 well for the time being. In other experiments 

 which we have made with salt, in sowing it 

 broadcast over turnip ground, after it was ma- 

 nured, ploughed and harrowed, we only used 

 six bushels per acre, and witnessed the finest 

 effects from it on a corn crop grown on the 

 ground the succeeding year." 



SUBSTITUTE FOR CREAM. 



Beat up the whole of a fresh egg in a basin 

 and then pour boiling tea over it gradually to 

 prevent its curdling. In flavor and richness this 

 preparation closely resembles cream. 



THE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 



We have the pleasure of presenting to our 

 readers on the opposite page, another portrait 

 from the celebrated stock of Short-horns, belong- 

 ing to Thomas Bates, Esq. of Kirkleavington, 

 England. The pedigree of this animal is of 

 the deepest kind, and his appearance is equal 

 to his breeding. The artist has hardly done 

 him justice in the loin and quarter, but his beau- 

 tiful, fine, masculine head, wide, deep brisket, 

 and round barrel, are to the life. His color is a 



