On Gypsum. 55 
able. Like the rust and other disorders of that kind, I 
suppose it to proceed from repletion. Most of my lands 
being flat, [ have observed that those disorders might 
be infallibly produced artificially, by graduating mois- 
ture alone for their attainment, and trusting to the sea- 
son for heat ; and the remedies I use are, to plough very 
deep when I sow my wheat; nevertheless covering it 
shallow, and to lay the land in ridges the width of the 
corn rows, witha deep and narrow furrow between 
them. Wheat seems to me to resist these maladies, in 
proportion to its forwardness, because it is less exposed 
to the combination of heat with moisture. Early kinds 
are the resource against the one; draining off rain wa- 
ter by furrows and deep ploughing, seem to me to be 
the best resource against the other. 
A few of the experiments I have made with gypsum 
are mentioned, to take a chance for adding a fact to your 
information on that subject. 
1803. March 15th. Oats and clover, both just up, 
plaistered them at one bushel to the acre; three weeks 
after, plaistered them again with the same quantity. 
Upon both occasions left the richest portion of the plat 
unplaistered. This only produced one third, both of 
oats and clover, of the plaistered land. 
April. Mixed or rotted a bushel of plaister with as 
much seed corn, keeping it wet whilst planting. With 
such rotted seed planted ’a field of 40 acres, except eight 
rows through the centre which were unplaistered. ‘The 
land poor. The inferiority of these eight rows was visi- 
ble, from the moment the corn was up, to its being ga- 
thered. 
