The Action of Common Salt as Manure. 
513 
between A and B is this : they both received exactly tlic same amount 
of other artificial manure ; but A, unlike B, received for three years 
together 3 cwts. of common salt per annum in addition to the other 
manures. The parallel is exact, with that exception ; and if there be 
any difference in the produce it must be due to the salt. 
Wheat Year after Year on the same Land. 
Plots A and B the same mixed Mineral and Ammonia Manure each Year ; 
and A 3 Cwts. of Common Salt, per Acre, in addition, in 1851, 1852, and 
1853. Produce per Acre, &c. 
Averages of Harvests. 
Dressed Corn. 
Total 
Produce, 
Corn & Straw 
(lbs.) 
Corn 
to 100 Straw. 
Offal Com 
to 1U0 
Dressed. 
Bushels. 
Weight 
per Bushel 
(lbs.) 
Plot A Plot B 
Plot A 
Plot B 
Plot A 
Plot B 
Plot A 
Plot B 
Plot A 
PlotB 
1343, 1849, and 1850 (3) 
years before using salt) 5 
1851, 1.S5?, and 1853 (31 
years with salt) . . . J 
18.>4-18li3 (10 years after ) 
using salt) .... J 
1818-11)63 (16 years) . . 
30 
m 
3U 
32? 
30* 
371 
61-6 
56-0 
5S-4 
58-7 
Gl-1 
5G - 7 
58-4 
58-7 
5938 
6535 
7799 
7222 
5976 
6568 
7811 
7234 
57-2 
42-6 
49-6 
49-7 
56-0 
41-7 
M-4 
49-3 
6- 7 
12-3 
7- 4 
8 - .2 
63 
u-o 
8-3 
8-4 
Sometimes when a manure has been applied to the soil, the en- 
suing year happens to be favourable, and this may not be the 
case at another period. Therefore, to arrive at exact conclusions, 
we must follow the results down from year to year for a con- 
siderable length of time. It will be seen by referring to the Table 
that the mean produce of 1848, 1849, and 1850, the years previous 
to the application of salt, was 32 i: and 32 \ bushels respectively ; 
showing that the crops of wheat were extremely alike. There was, 
in fact, no difference between them. Again, in 1851, 1852, and 
1853, the years in which A received 3 cwts. of salt per acre 
per annum, and B did not, the produce of wheat per acre was 
exactly the same, being 30 bushels in each case. Then, in the 
next ten years the produce was again nearly alike. The produce of 
the sixteen years was in each case 37i bushels ; showing that there 
was no trace whatever of the action of the 9 cwts. of common salt. 
Some persons think that although salt may not increase the 
quantity of produce, it improves its quality. Let us see what was 
the weight of the grain per bushel. In the first three years the 
weight was a little higher in A than in B ; in the three year's 1851, 
1852, and 1853, when the salt was applied, the difference was again 
slightly in favour of A, though not so much as it was before ; and in 
the next ten years, the weights per bushel were almost exactly alike. 
In point of fact it made no difference whatever, whether we used 
9 cwts. of common salt or not. 
I now come to the total produce of straw and com as shown in the 
second division of the Table. The total annual produce of the first 
three years was 5988 lbs. against 597G lbs., a difference of a few pounds 
only ; in the three years when salt was used the produce was as nearly 
