514 Abstract. Report of Agricultural Discussions. 
as possible the same ; and in the ten years after the salt was applied, 
the average produce was 7799 lbs. against 7811 lbs. — again a differ- 
ence of only a few pounds. In the total average produce of the whole 
period of sixteen years the difference was only 12 lbs., 7222 lbs. against 
7234 lbs. 
The nest columns show the relation of com to straw. Salt is sup- 
posed to strengthen straw and improve its quality. The figures show- 
the proportion of corn to 100 straw. In the first period, before r salt 
was applied, A, having 57 lbs. of corn, was rather superior to B, which 
had 56 lbs. In the next period we have 42-6 against 41*7, there being 
again a slight difference in favour of A. In the next ten years the case 
was reversed, and the result was in favour of the land which received 
no salt, the figures being 49-6 against 50. Again, in the sixteen 
years the comparison is 49*7 against 49 - 8, being a very little in 
favour of B. Taking the whole period, there is, practically, no 
difference in the proportions of corn and straw. 
I must now speak of the proportion of offal corn to 100 lbs. of 
dressed com as shown in the last column. In the first three years A 
was in this respect slightly superior to B. In the three years in 
which salt was applied, the reverse was the case ; that is to say, the 
quantity of offal corn was a little larger when the salt was used. In 
the third year of this second period, I may remark, the balance was 
still greater against salt ; the offal corn was then 17 on A, to 13 on 
B, showing that the salt had the effect of injuring instead of improving 
the quality. In the next ten years the result was 7"4 in A to 8 - 3 in 
B. Taking the sixteen years the results are almost identical ; that is 
to say, we see no effect whatever from the use of salt in these 
careful and prolonged experiments. 
Turning now to the action of salt upon another crop, I may 
remark that on my own farm I generally grow from 10 to 15 acres 
of mangold wurzel a year ; and, following the common custom, I 
have usually applied salt to the land. My usual course has been to 
apply half a dressing of dung in the autumn, and half a dressing in 
the spring, and then the 2 cwts. of guano or some other artificial 
manure, and 4 cwts. of salt per acre, the salt and artificial manure 
being strained on the top of the dung, and ridged in, and the seed 
dibbled on the top. As everybody says that salt is good for mangold 
wurzel I have always used it ; and, assuming that it did increase the 
crop, I was anxious to ascertain more exactly the extent of its 
effect. Last year I ordered one acre to be manured with 5 cwts. of 
salt, another with 10 cwts., and another to be left without any salt, 
the other manures being the same in the three cases. One thing 
which struck me immediately was, that the plants which had no salt 
grew faster than those which had it. There could be no mistake 
about the matter. The salt evidently appeared to check the growth 
of the mangold wurzel. This went on for a good many months, and 
at one time there was a great difference between one set of roots 
and the others. The crops were very carefully weighed, with the 
following result : — The produce per acre in roots was, without salt, 
21 tons 2 cwts. ; with the smaller quantity of salt it was 20 tons 
