nia FARMER'S MANUAL. 2o 



appear; and before winter, there was a material dif- 

 ference between this and the other part of the field. 

 In May *796, I ploughed the field for buckwheat 

 and turnips, and sowed it in July, extending into the 

 part which had not been dressed with plaster. There 

 was a great difference between that part of the field 

 on which the gypsum had been applied, and the part 

 on which there had been none ; both in the buck- 

 wheat and turnips. The part dressed with plaster 

 produced nearly double to that which had not been 

 dressed. In 1797, I planted the field with potatoes ; 

 they appeared to derive some advantage from the 

 gypsum ; but it was not great. 



" In the momh of April 1 795, 1 dressed with plaster 

 part of a field covered with a turf of natural grass ; 

 in September the clover appeared amongst the natu- 

 ral grass. In April 1796, the difference between that 

 dressed, and that not dressed, was apparent, I then 

 ploughed the whole in ridges for indian corn ; on part 

 of the field I put plaster before the first hoeing ; on a 

 part soon after the first hoeing ; and a small part was 

 ploughed and planted without any plaster ; and that 

 part of the field on which I put plaster in 1795, I left 

 without applying any thing. In a short time, the part 

 of the field on which the plaster had been put in 1 795, 

 appeared to have the advantage, and in the course of 

 the summer, the difference could be discerned at a 

 very great distance. At harvest I thought I had dou- 

 ble the quantity of corn on the land dressed in 1795, 

 that I had on that dressed in 1796, though the crop in 

 this appeared greatly benefited. The land which was 

 not dressed at all, did not yield more than half as much 

 as the land dressed in the hills of corn with the plaster 

 in 1796, and not more than one fourth as much as that 

 dressed with plaster upon the sward in 1795. In 1797, 

 I put a bushel of plaster upon an acre of this field, be- 

 fore planting ; then planted all the field with indian 

 corn and put plaster in the hills ; except upon the acre 

 as above ; at harvest I could discover no essential dif- 

 ference. 



