300— a experiments on gypsum. ' -^''g- ig* 



country, and leave the rest to the reflections of the rea- 

 der. 



These surely are noble and useful subjects to employ 

 the leisure of my intelligent countrymen, and let me at 

 least glory that they are numerous *. 



"Hae mlhi erunt arics pacisque imponere morem." 



BlOGRAPHICUS. 



EXPERIMENTS ON GYPSUM. 

 BY R. PROCTOR ANDERDON, OF HENLADE, SOMERSETSHIRE. 



\From Young's annals of agriculture J\ 



tieniade, Dec. 28. I79I. 



i-iAST spring I procured two hundred weight of alabaster, 

 or gypsum, from a rock at Hurcott, near Somerton, in 

 this county, at 2 s. 6 d. per hundred weight at the quarry, 

 which I got beaten to powder with hammers, and ran it 

 through a fine hair sieve, or cleansing range, and then 

 through a malt mill, which was not injured by the opera- 

 tion ; but to pulverise it on a large scale in this manner 

 would be too expensive for the farmer's practice, if it 

 were to be much used for a manure. 



The two hundred weight produced about ten pec^s ia 

 powder y a peck of powder weighed twenty-one pounds 

 ten ounces. At the rate of six bulhels to an acre, it 



• The Editor will be much obliged to such of his re.diTs as have had 

 accefs to be well intormed with' respect to any or' the above mentioied 

 particulars, for siicJi hints or memorials as they can fuinifh, particularly 

 Tcsprcting Cockburn of Ormiston; and will be glad to know if there be 

 any geti'^ine po rrait of hirn, and whtre it is to be found; as also of Sir 

 Willi .m Bruce of Kinrofs ; and any of the others of whom portraits have 

 no; been a'le ,dy eng .ived. 



Aht'.dofloid Milton, from an o ; ml painting in the pofsefsion of 

 Mr Macmillan, is niw In the hands or the engraver, which wilt be ac- 

 <ompa!iied by memoirs of that djs:irgui{hed pe.son.':ge, oy a gentleman to 

 whom tha Editor of the Bse lies under very particular obligations. 



