270 
REMINISCENCES OF CALIFORNIA.-NO. 1. 
of salt, to which the post horses had free access. 
He considered that horses in full work derived 
an advantage, more or less, according to cir¬ 
cumstances, from this substance. With regard 
to its effects on vegetation, a curious result had 
occurred in Cheshire, where the Marquis of 
Westminster had applied salt liberally on a 
road four miles long, for the purpose of destroy¬ 
ing the weeds on it; but it was found that the 
weeds, instead of being destroyed by this appli¬ 
cation, were more numerous than ever. 
Mr. Barrow had found salt improve the 
strength and quality of his wheat straw, his 
neighbor’s crops having been laid while his 
stood well. He had entirely destroyed fine rows 
of box in his garden by applying salt on his 
garden walks for the purpose of killing the 
weeds. 
Mr. Parkins had not had a weed on his gravel 
walks for five years, by forming them on a bed 
or substratum of chalk mixed with coal gas tar 
sifted over gravel, and allowed to set; lime be¬ 
ing used when a more compact substatum, (ca¬ 
pable of bearing the pressure of a loaded cart 
wheel without yielding,) was required. 
Mr. Mechi had used 150 tons of salt on 170 
acres of land during five years’ occupation. 
He found it essentially necessary for cattle and 
horses, when fed on wheat straw cut into chaff 
with bean meal. If salt were not given, their 
coats appeared rough and unhealthy; but with 
salt, they were sleek and healthy. His sheep 
and pigs also had salt. Horses and cattle re¬ 
ceived two ounces daily, yearling calves one 
ounce. Without being able to give the scien¬ 
tific reason, salt gave strength and brightness 
t.o the wheat straw, and prevented its lodging. 
He applied it at the rate of 300 pounds per acre, 
mixed with the same weight of guano. He 
also used a large quantity under the animals, to 
fix the ammonia in their manure, which it did 
far more effectually than gypsum. He had 
known of great advantage from mixing it in the 
dunghill. It was very beneficial to mangold 
wurtzel. It certainly, with all deference to Mr. 
Way, appeared to render the land more wet and 
adhesive. He thought it would not be so ben¬ 
eficial on undrained heavy lands. Early on a 
hot summer’s morning, he had observed the 
grains of salt formed a wet spot, as though they 
had attracted moisture from the dews. 
Professor Way explained that common salt 
might be a better fixer of ammonia than gyp¬ 
sum, on account of its greater solubility, Salt, 
from any deliquescence it occasioned, might 
affect land in regard to color and resistance to 
the action of frost; but moisture was not the 
simple cause of the good effects of salt. 
Mr. Dyer instanced the deliquescent effect of 
salt in bacon-salting rooms, where the pavement 
was constantly damp. He had even known 
milk spilt on deal boards years ago, which now, 
in damp weather, always attracted moisture 
where the milk had been originally absorbed. 
Mr. Fisher Hobbs referred to the power of 
the fishery salt to fix ammonia, and used it fre¬ 
quently with, guano with a view to that object. 
Baron Mertens expressed to the council his 
thanks for the kind manner in which they had 
acceded to his request, on the part of the Bel¬ 
gian government, that this subject should re¬ 
ceive their attention, and give rise to practical 
discussion. Pie would only further trespass on 
their time by inquiring whether any experi¬ 
ments had been made to ascertain the increase 
in the weight of milch cows, and of the milk 
they yielded, in consequence of the use of salt 
as part of their food. 
The Rev. A. Huxtable, having a dairy of 40 
milch cows, had found it difficult to make expe¬ 
riments on that express point; but Boussingault 
had last year given an account of experiments 
similar in their object to those which were now 
the subject of Baron Merten’s inquiry. 
REMINISCENCES OF CALIFORNIA.—No. 1. 
That portion of the state of California situ¬ 
ated between the Sierra Nevada on the east, and 
the Pacific on the west, comprises all the sec¬ 
tions of that interesting country, with one ex¬ 
ception, that can be made available for commer¬ 
cial, agricultural, or manufacturing purposes. 
With the exception of the valley through which 
runs Carson’s River, the tract of country east¬ 
ward from these mountains is a barren, sandy, 
and almost trackless wilderness, with small 
oases here and there, on which the weary eye 
of the traveller rests with pleasure. When, 
parched with the burning heat of the desert, he 
longs for some green spot to relieve the tedious 
monotony. Much of this desert region has not 
as yet been explored, having merely been pass¬ 
ed through, in a few places, by emigrants, whose 
routes were separated from each otTier by great 
intervening distances; yet, from the dreariness 
of every track that has thus far been tried, it 
may be inferred with a good degree of certainty, 
what those portions are which have as yet, by 
their very appearance, deterred the traveller, 
the miner, or the trapper from attempting to 
break in upon the secrecy of these gloomy and 
forbidding solitudes. 
