92 On Cropping and Cidtivating Light Land, 



1846, on a quarter of an acre of land, a sandy loam with a gravelly subsoil : 

 preparation, a clover and bent ley, w ith about eight loads of dung per acre, and 

 after the rate of 2 cwt. per acre of common clean coarse salt, sow n about I he 

 middle of March : — 



No Salt. lbs. 

 8 bushels head-wheat, 6lt lbs. 



per bushel 494 



1 bushel tailing: ditto ... 54 



Balance in favour of salt 



548 

 91 



639 



With Salt. lbs. 

 9 bushels head-wheat, 61 lbs. 

 per bushel 549 



1 bushel 5 gallons tailing 



90 



639 



" The weight of straw on the quarter-acre salted was 786 lbs., and on 

 the portion not salted 696 lbs., showing 90 lbs. most straw where the salt was 

 used. Therefore the difference in this experiment in favour of the salted 

 wheat was after the rate of 6^ bushels per acre, and 360 lbs., or 10 trusses, 

 of straw, at an expense of about 4s. per acre, including the sowing." 



Mr. Ellis also says,— 



*' I believe that in a portion of another field, in the same year, the results, 

 could I have conveniently ascertained them, would have been still greater in 

 favour of salt. I have continued the use of salt for nearly all my wheat every 

 year since, and in nearly all cases with very beneficial results. I frequently 

 salt the leys in the autumn, either previous to ploughing, or at least to sowing, 

 as I consider in some soils it checks the ravages of the slug and worm. I have 

 usually seen the most benefit from salt when applied to wheat after ley, and I 

 think that it is least beneficial on heavy clay land, where, if much is used, it 

 appears to make it run together, and is consequently unkindly to vegetation. 

 I now usually sow from 2^ to 4 cwt. per acre. From the experience and rather 

 close observation and comparison of the last few years, I am much in favour of 

 using the clean, coarse salt, in preference to the Hide salt, or to the dirty 

 refuse sold as manure salt. I think 2 cwt. of the clean equal to 3 cwt. of the 

 other. I have tried salt on oats and barley, but with very little apparent 

 advantage : with barley it sometimes appears to stiffen the straw and make it 

 brighter, but the grain has been inferior to that not salted, being much more 

 steely." 



Of the efifect of nitrate of soda and guano, Mr. Ellis kindly 

 gives me his experience : — 



" I have never been very successful in the use of nitrate of soda to the wheat 

 crop, but this may arise from my land being already sufficient!}'^ charged with 

 the straw-growing material ; but I have derived great benefit on sandy loams 

 when I have used it to my mangold-wurzel and Swede turnips, especially the 

 latter. When my land has not been in sufficiently good condition to bring on 

 the wheat-plant satisfactorily, I have a high opinion of an application of about 

 l^cwt. of" guano mixed with 2 cwt. of salt per acre, sown as a top-dressing at 

 the end of February or the beginning of March." 



Mr. Ellis's farm consists principally of a deep, rich loam, and 

 had been in its present high state of cultivation for many years 

 previous to the use of the manures now spoken of. 



In some cases in which salt has been sown with wheat at the 

 time of planting, it has had an injurious effect, destroying some 

 of the plants, and retarding the appearance of the whole. When 



