50 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
returns to satisfy tiiem for the sacrifices they 
must make. If such tarmers would commence 
improving their lands, beginning on a small 
scale, they would soon find, that owing to the 
greater prices obtained for their produce in this 
market, they could compete with the farmers of 
any State of the Union, and would remain eligi- 
bly situated in a healthy country, having all the 
benefits of a long established society of well- 
bred and intelligent people. 
Henry A. Field, M. D. 
New York, March, 1843. 
A merican Agriculturist. 
SALT AS A MANURE. 
The testimonies in lavor of salt as a destruc- 
tive to noxious insects and favorable to vegeta- 
tion, multiply upon us. The great desideratum 
in regard to the application of salt, is to ascer- 
tain in what quantity it should be applied; for 
w'hile a certain amount is of universally ac- 
knowledged utility, an increased quantity is per- 
nicious. Repeated experiments only can de- 
termine this. These are in progress both here 
and abroad. These analysis may be found, 
some of them in Turner’s Chemistry; others, 
and very much at large, in Johnson on Fertili- 
zers; and the whole subject is fully and admi- 
rably treated in Dana’s Muck Manual lor Far- 
mer’s, a book which we beg leave to recom- 
mend strongly to our inquiring corre.spondent, 
E. V. W. D . — Neio Genesee Farvier. 
L.iF.'i.YETTE, Onandaga Co., N. Y., ) 
February 23, 1843. ) 
Dear Sir — Having, during the past summer, 
Feard numerous complaints about corn-fields 
being devastated by the grub-worm, I will de- 
scribe to you the precautionary means that I 
make use of for the extermination, not only of 
them, but of every worm that infests our fields, 
and at times make such great havoc with our 
crops. 
Having frequently been under the necessity 
of replanting com, and as often been troubled 
with unmarketable potatoes, from the ravages 
of the angle-worm, I was induced to try what 
effect salt would have on them. Before its trial, 
I had no doubt that a sufficient quantity would 
destroy all insects; but I was fearful that, at the 
same time, it would de.stroy vegetation too. Yet 
1 was determined to hazard the experiment. — 
Accordingly, last spring, about twelve days pre- 
vious to planting, I sowed five barrels of sail, 
broad cast, on five acres ot ground; and planted 
the field, three acres with potatoes and two with 
corn. Among the corn I discovered only one 
stem at all injured by the worm. The corn, 
however, did not produce more than an average 
crop. The potatoes, however, did much better. 
From the three acres I obtained 1260 bushels of 
fair, good sized, smooth, marketable potatoes. 
The ground was in good order, and planted to 
potatoes the year previous. The result I attri- 
bute mainly to the use of salt. 
That salt will destroy vegetation, I now have 
reason to doubt, (unless applied extravagantly,) 
by experiments that I made last summer. In a 
portion of the wheat-field where I had sowed 
nine varieties of wheat, I applied, at the time 
the stems were five or six inches high, salt, at 
the rate, I should think, of two barrels to the 
acre. None of the grain was destroyed; and 
yet I saw no benefit from the application. The 
whule field was badly shrunk, that portion as 
well as the rest. The other trial was upon some 
Canada thistles. To each of several stems I 
applied a handful of salt; and the only effect 
that I could perceive, was that it made them 
grow more vigorously. I applied it frequently 
and in large quantities to a patch of chick-weed 
growing in the garden; and was equally unsuc- 
cessful. The bed would wither down for a few 
days, and then rise up as vigorous as ever. The 
effect of brine, however, is diSerent from thatof- 
salt. Wherever I have applied that, it has im- 
mediately destroyed all vegetation within its 
reach. 
I am, myself, so well satisfied with the benefi- 
cial effects of salt in destroying insects, that I 
intend to sow it upon all of my meadow land 
this spring, at the rate of one barrel to the acre. 
Upon one-half of my wheat field, 1 sowed salt 
at the above rate, last fall, a short lime previous 
to sowing the wheat. It looked well during the 
late thaw; but its effects, whether favorable or 
unfavorable, are yet to be seen, I use salt pret- 
ty much as people use Brandreth’s pills — as a 
sovereign and infallible remedy lor every ill the 
earth, as w'ell as flesh, is heir to. 
It gives a healthful appearance to peach trees 
— it invigorates asparagus beds, and it is almost 
incredible what quantity can with perfect safety 
be applied to their roots — when thrown into 
the heads of cabbages, it promotes their growTh, 
and effectual^ destroys those ill-shaped, green 
insects that so often destroy them. Horses, 
cattle and sheep apparently know its beneficial 
qualities upon themseh'es; while hogs, wuth a 
little patience and perseverance, can be made 
exceedingl}'- fond of it. At the present price of 
salt, it is within the power cf every one to try at 
least one experiment w'ith it. How many w'ill 
do so the ensuing spring, and report success to 
head-quarters? E. V. W. Dox. 
P. S, By giving us an analysis of the follow- 
ing articles, you will I presume confer a special 
benefit upon every reader of your valuable 
journal. The object of the analysis will be, to 
enable us to make more judicious applications 
of manures, both as to quality and quantity, 
than we are generally in the habit of doing. — 
Eveiy farmer knows that manures operate very 
differently; yet our experience has not extended 
much beyond the use of gypsum, lime, and the 
manure of horses, cattle and hogs. I have of- 
ten heard it said that, in order to raise red pep- 
pers, the product of the hen coop must be used. 
That it is effectual, there remains no doubt; but 
why it is so, I have never yet been able to ex- 
plain. Or why is it that gypsum has so much 
effect upon clover? Why does unleached ashes 
benefit timothy, more than leached ashes? In 
fine, why does it benefit it at all? A table of the 
analysis of the various manures, together with 
that of the different varieties of grain, ought to 
be constantly before every farmer. He will 
then be able to decide at once, from a knowdedge 
of his means, what kind of grain to sow. 
The articles contained in the followfing list 
can be easily obtained at almost any place, pro- 
vided they should be found serviceable; 
Salt 
Gypsum, 
Wheat Bran, 
Leached Ashes, 
Unleached Ashes, 
Rotten W ood. 
Sheep Dung. 
Swmmp Muck, 
Lime, 
Hen Dung, 
Horse “• 
Hog “ 
Cattle “ 
E. V. W. D. 
We have been kindly favored by Dr. Penne)’-, 
editor of the Evening Post and the Western 
New Yorker, with the following communica- 
tion, containing most if not all of the informa- 
tion sought for by the above correspondent: 
ANSWER TO AGRICULTURAL QUERIES. 
Salt — is in chemical language. Chloride of 
Sodium — that is, a combination of the gaseous 
substance chlorine, with the metal (or rather 
metaloid) sodium, in the proportion of 60 per 
cent of chlorine. 
Sodium united to oxygen forms caustic soda. 
“ “ to carbonic acid, carbonate and 
bicarbonate of sodo. 
“ “ to sulphuric acid, sulphate of 
soda, an excellent article for 
clover and the pea kinds; costs 
in England lOs. per cwt. — is 
made from common salt, by add- 
ing sulphuric acid. 
“ “ to sulphur, sulphate of sodium. 
“ “ to phosphoric acid, phosphate of 
soda. 
The component parts of salt are found in 
most plants, and therefore must be in the soil 
that bears them. If 25 tons of turnips be taken 
from an acre, there are removed from the soil 
64 lbs. of soda and 14 lh«. of chlorine. If red 
clover, 12 lbs. per ton of soda. If 25 bushels cf 
wheat, 3j lbs. in the grain and about 1 lb. in the 
straw. 
Salt sifted into your manure heap in layers, 
combines with the ammonia, one of the most 
fertilizing substances of the farm yard which is 
ever escaping, making muriate of ammonia and 
carbonate of soda, both valuable articles: the 
first affords food to the most valuable plants, the 
second is a most poAverful soh'ent of v^egetable 
fibre, and consequently a most valuable agent in 
preparing the manure lor the nourishment of 
crops. As to quantity, say a peck once a week 
on the farm yard manure of a farm of 150 
acres. 
The other combinations are sulphate of sodi- 
um, carbonate of soda, (soda of the shops,) the 
sesqui-carbonate, and bi-carbonate, the caustic 
soda, (produced Avhen common salt and lime are 
mixed in compost) and different phosphates of 
soda, which are found in the ashes of nearly all 
plants. 
Experiments are reported by Johnson, made 
at Eske Hale, (Eng.) by a Mr. Fleming, in 
1841, whereby it appears that the application of 
six bushels per acre of salt to grass land, on a 
high, bleak, thin, and light soil, incr^i^ the 
produce from two tons 12 cwt. to three^ros 12 
cwt. per acre. 
Gypsum — is in chemical language, the Sul- 
phate of Lime, or a combination of sulphuric 
acid and lime. 
Common Limestone, Chalk and Marble, and 
carbonates of lime. Guick lime is the combi- 
nation of the base of lime — calcium, with ox}> 
gen. Slacked lime is called the hydrate of lime, 
being a combination with water. There are 
also the sulphuret of calcium, and the nitrate 
and the phosphate of lime. This last is a prin- 
cipal ingredient in the bone dust manure. 
The elements of Gypsum are found in lh« 
the ashes of most vegetables, and are therefore 
necessary in the soil; for example, the crop of 
turnips mentioned above, removes from the soil 
45 lbs. of lime from the acre, and 49 lbs. of sul- 
phuric acid. The red clover 63 lbs. of lime 
and 10 lbs. of sulphuric acid. The wheat — 
grain IJ lbs. of lime and 8-10 of a lb. of sul- 
phuric acid, and the straw 7^ lbs. of lime and 1 
lb. of sulphuric acid, 
Liebig recommends gypsum to be employed 
for fixing the volatile ammonia of the manure 
yard, which produces a sulphate of ammonia 
and carbonate of lime. The use of salt, as al- 
ready mentioned, seems preferable. 
Wheat Bran. — We have not at hand an ex- 
act analysis of this substance — but from the an- 
alogy of other vegetable manures in a dry state, 
we should say its Amlue Avould be greatly en- 
hanced, by promoting its fermentation, by mix- 
ing ii with the liquid manure of the farm yard. 
In this case it could not fail to afford a valuable 
addition to fertilizing matter. 
Wood Ashes are different according to the 
kinds of wmod from w'hich they are derived. — 
The hard woods generally afford carbonate of 
potash and silicate of potash, both valuable 
either in feeding plants directly or in reducing 
other matters into a form fit for iood to plants. 
In the crops already referred to, the turnips 
carry off irom the soil 145 lbs. of potash, red 
clover 45 lbs., Avheat grain 3j lies., straw' J lb. 
per acre. 
Leached Ashes differ from the above, mere- 
ly by the removal of the greater part of the 
potash. 
Rotten Wood contains the same elements as 
the tree from which it is derived, except that a 
portion of its carbon has combined with the 
oxygen of the atmosphere and passed off as car- 
bonic acid gas. The elements of potash, &c., 
are in a condition to be more immediately avail- 
able for nourishment than in saw dust. 
Swamp Mock. — This -substance consists of 
different materials in different cases — but gene- 
rally, it consists of vegetable matter in a very 
inert state. On burning, it will be found to give 
off organic elements similar to living vegeta- 
bles, and the ashes will show similar saline and 
earthy materials. Lord MeadoAvbank, as re- 
