Sept, t, 1S97.I 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
199 
men like Liebi<;', Lawes, Wanington, and Voelcker 
declaring against it ; althougli Dr. Voelcker (ac- 
cording to Dr. (iritfiths) latterly recognized its 
value as a manure which increased the yield of 
wheat, barley and oat crops. There is no doubt 
that in special cases salt is of use as a manure. 
Thus Dr. A. B. Grifiiths states that from his own 
e.xperiments and experience, a dressing of cwt. 
nitrate ot soda, and D cwt. salt per acre, 
forms an excellent manure for rnangold-wurzel. 
From the evidence before us, I am disjiosed to 
Consider the coconut tree as one of the special 
cases in v.’hich salt is useful as a manure. 
Dr. Gritfiths sums up th.e general ]iropertie« 
of common salt from an agricultural point of 
view as folio svs : — 
(«) The property of salt, in small (quantities, 
in promoting the decomposition of the animal 
and vegetable matters contained in all culti- 
vated soils is considerable 
(h) Tt acts as a dlrcvt plant fuod in small 
projiortions. 
(c) It has the [) 0 wer of destroying noxious in- 
sects, slugs and weeds, when applied to fallows. 
{d) .Salt possesses stimulating powers on grow- 
ing plants. 
[e) It has the power of preserving the juices of 
plants, and the soils in which they grow from the 
effects of sudden transitions in the temperature of 
the atmosphere (C. N. Johnson, F.it.s.) 
(f) “It increases the power of certain soils of 
absorbing moisture from the atmosphere.” 
I may mention, in conclusion that, according 
to the same author, salt has been used as a 
manure in Palastine and in China for more than 
2,000 years. M. COCHRAN. 
SALT AS A MANURE. 
July 26. 
Dear Sir,— The discussion on the use of salt 
as a manure is one deserving of considera- 
tion. I have noticed that seaweeds are largely 
used in England as a manure, and consequently 
trees and plants which grow near the coast in 
the island may improve by the addition ot salt 
to the soil. It'has been proposed from time to time 
to reduce the Government price of salt for agri- 
cultural purposes, and to so adulterate it as to 
render it unfit for human food. According to a 
reasonable way of quitting the matter it is any- 
thing but just and equitable to raise the price 
of salt for the food of man and to reduce it for 
the food of plants. What would be said if 
the Customs charged a higher duty for paddy 
imiiorted and used as food for human beings, 
and lessened the duty when imported to feed 
dumb animals. .Such a proceeding would not for 
a moment be countenanced by Government. 
.\s far as I know the quantity of salt for a 
coconut tree need not be very much, one seer 
or measure, or a little more, would be sufficient 
for eacli tiee. A bushel contains thirty-two 
seers, I think, and this may suffice for thirty- 
three young coconut trees, but older trees may 
require a little more. If one-third of the price 
of a bushel of salt be reduced it would answer 
both for agricultural purposes and as a neces- 
sary of life. Of all the taxes on food the most 
unjust one is a salt tax. 
'i'he salt which is annually destroyed may be 
collected and used. Those who have noticed the 
manufacture of salt, and also the natural cry.s- 
talization of it in salt pans, or little lakes called 
leways, would have observed that if soon after 
the crystalization ot salt it is not collected, long 
crystals shoot between the square crystals of 
common salt and render the .salt bitter and unfit 
for human food. The long crystals are tliose, 
I think, of glauber salt, or sulphate of soda. 
Salt of this kind may well be collected and 
sold cheap for agriculture. The mixed salt 
is too bitter for food and not easily removed from 
common salt ; and the co.st of doing so would be 
expensive and not worth the trouble if salt for 
food is made cheajier. This would at once re- 
move the ditiiculty of .adulleraiiiig .^.alt so tiuu ii 
m.ay nol he used as food. 
One time salt wa.s sold cliea|i, or in reduced 
jn'ice, for lish curing yards ; bul theie ha\e 
been such restrictions (hat the li.sheis ga\e up 
curing lish in the yards oi- huts kept by C'o'o'rn- 
ment for the imr|)o,se. It is a |iity that more 
encouragement was not gi\en to this indu.stry, 
a.s it is believed that badly cured fish as a diet, 
is very unwholesome and apt to juoducc di.sease. 
— Yours truly, X. 
[We (quite agree that it will be a happy day 
for the ma.s.s of the qreople when the salt tax can 
be reduced or abolished j although it is ques- 
tionable if people in remote districts could even 
then get salt cheaper than it is now given by 
Government. But the principle on wliich salt 
is wanted free for agriculture is that it may 
increase the production of food staples,— F.P. TA,, 
SALT IN AGRICULTURE, 
Devr Sir, — I t is a matter of great sati.sfaction 
to me to find that the agitation I star ted about 
ten years ago for the use of salt in agricul- 
ture in general and in coconut cultivation in 
particular, receives support now from you 
after the analysis of Mr. Cochran revealed the 
fact that salt in large quantities is to be found 
in the products of the tree. I received no sup- 
port from you at that time as you shielded 
yourself behind the analysis of Lepine and the 
oqjinion of Dr. Trimen that the small quantitie.s 
of salt vegetation required was supqrlied by 
the .storms of the S.-W. monsoon.* The asqiect 
of affairs has changed now that Mr. Cochran 
has proved the unreliability of Lepine’s analysis 
as regards husks. What about the other parts 
«f the tree? Will not the moribund National 
Association do a “ national ” duty by a qu-oduct 
of “national” importance and Irave com]ilete 
ari.alysis made of ail the products of the coco- 
nut tree after the manner of Lepine s tables.! 
My agitation of 10 years ago started in this 
wise, coconut leaf disease rvas receiving attention. 
It was found chielly in inland districts! where 
coconuts were not growing unde'r natural condi- 
tions as regards situation and soil. I suggested 
that possibly the cause of the disease was due 
to this and that it would be wise to restore 
natural conditions as much as lies in our qrower by 
systematic application of salt to the coconut tree. 
* We cannot under.stand to what our corresqjondent 
refers. In the very first edition of our illustratet' 
Handbook “Ceylon in 1883 ” and in every edition 
since, we have placed the releasing of salt from tax 
for agricultural purposes, as one of the reforms »f 
the future to be kept steadily in view. “ B.” must 
be referring to some remark of our “ senior ” dining 
our absence from Ceylon '! But on the general ques- 
tion of free salt for agricultuinl use, we know be 
also wrote favourably so far back as the “ sixties.” — 
Bn.- 7'..f, 
t How is a “moribund” institutiou that has not paid 
its debts, to do this ? — En. 7’..1. 
[ It was very bad in Slave Island near Gallo Face. 
— En. T.A. 
