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water on the fire ; which must stop the 

 plants from growing in so vigorous a man- 

 ner as they ought to do. And the principal 

 cause why I have found such superior ad- 

 vantage in the application of plaster to 

 turnips, is its attracting the moisture, and 

 defending the plants while young from the 

 burning rays of the sun. It covers the 

 soil, and keeps the ground moist and cool 

 all the summer. Indeed, although every 

 other plant in America will look sick- 

 ly > so much so, in the heat of the day, 

 that you would suppose many plants would 

 not revive again, particularly the turnips 

 that have not had plaster applied to them, 

 in the same field, the outward leaves turn 

 yellow, die, and drop off; yet those that 

 have had the plaster, will look of a rank 

 green and healthy : and if you go in the 

 evening, you will see dew on those plaster- 

 ed, much earlier than on the others ; and 

 in the morning they will have drops of 

 dew, w r hen the others are parched with the 

 heat of the sun. 



