The use of Salt.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 329, 25 July 1889, Page 3

The use of Salt.

|.TO THE EDITOR.] Sib,—There is no man who will doubt for a single moment that salt is beneficial to stock.. I have met one man in my life who has given up salt, and has imagined that because he dispensed with it, that sheep and cattle can do so. He forgets that our body contains salt, and that because he does not put a small quantity of salt at the edge of his plate, nature will not allow an animal to live without salt. You may prefer to scatter rock salt over the land, so that the, sheep may get at it if they want it, The farmer who has salt on his land will find it all the better for his stock. I may mention that for centuries it has been the law in Spain that the people who have large blocks of land shall supply for every 1000 sheep at least 128Ibs of salt per annum. This is absolutely necessary, so that the value of salt for maintaining the growth of stock must have been long since recognised by the Spanish people, and I have no doubt that if we had time to inquire into the history of other countries we should find that some provision has been made for .the supply of salt to the stock. There is do use arguing about it, and I have no hesitation in saying that if salt were more generally used in up-country stations, you would Lear less of fluke and parasitic diseases that affect stock. —I am, &c., R. Habper, P.S,—Sir : I should like to have written a little more on the above subject, but I am afraid I have taken up too much of your valuable space as it is. I shall be most happy to give information to anyone it'might interest,—B,H,