APPENDIX. 459 



dure, it is a sure indication of a great addition to its fertility, and 

 that a .,oo(l crop may then be expected. VV lien, therefore, the 

 green -sward is thus formed, turn it under, and then, with tiie usual 

 culture, twenty bushels of wheat to the acre may be expected, where 

 only ten would have been had without tins application of gypsum. 

 Yet tne same quantity of tins manure, applied as a top-dressing to the 

 growing crop of wheat, would have hud no sensible effect, ll should 

 therefore be understood, that tor ail growths winch derive little or.no 

 benefit from g\ psum, when applied as a top-dressing to the growing 1 

 plains, the giound should be previous!} ennciied by applying this 

 manure to the sward, a suiiub e leng-.h of time before it is to be 

 broken up, which will usually be from two to three months. At all 

 events, as soon as the swaru tuily exhibits the effects of the gypsum 

 it may be turned under. Wherever a sward is to be turned under, 

 this practice siiould be invariably pursued, that ihe ground may be 

 rendered more fruitful for the crop that is to ibiiow. 



In this Country, gypsum is a great source of wealth, wherever soils 

 are sensible to its effects. It has tended much to equalize the value 

 of lands, by imparting an artificial fertility to those niuuruliy more 

 sieriie, and that at a small expense. But gypsum alone is by no 

 means sufficient for keeping- lands in the improved condition that is 

 necessary lor raising 1 the aesl crops, and of course deriving the great- 

 est profits, l lie Farmer should attend also to making tiie most of 

 such other manures as come conveniently witnin his reach. We are, 

 however, no Advocate for obtaining manures at any price: They 

 iiiaj COSL too much ; but almost every Farmer, whose lands are of 

 suitable quality, and who stocks them with as many cattle as he can 

 keep in good order, and then make* tno best use of the manure they 

 afiord, may usuuli), with tiie judicious use of gypsum, added to good 

 culture, keep his lands in an improving condition. 



But some soils are so constituted as to be of diminished value,. 

 without a suitaoie mixture of other eartiis, and in such case are per- 

 manently benefited by such additions. If lands, for instance, are 

 too Sana), or gravelly, the addition of clay to them, or, what is bet- 

 ter, of upland-marie, will permanently improve the soil; and where 

 these earths can be found within reasonable distance it will usually 

 be labor well expended. V\ e will state a case in point. In the rear 

 of tne city of Albany lies an immense body of calcareous earth, 

 which may properly be called a schistic-marle. It is commonly call- 

 ed blue-clay. This, when mixed with a due proportion of sand, 

 forms a very fertile and durable soil. Farther west of the city lie 

 large tracts of sandy lands, which require suitable proportions of tins 

 marie to render them fit for good cuJture, and with such additions 

 much of them would be found very valuable. Where they lie suffi- 

 ciently level, and are not too sandy, it will probably be found that 

 from half a ton to a ton, for every rod square, would be sufficient to- 

 render them very fertile, and iited for the most profitable rotations- 

 of crops. 



Tins sort of marie, which may be found in various parts of the 

 Country, and very frequently under tracts of sandy lands, fs a valua- 

 ble ami permanent manure in all dry soils which are deficient of cal- 

 careous maiter, and have not already too great a proportion of clay. 

 Tins manure siiould be hud on the land as a top -dressing, that it may 

 be completely pulverized before it is mixed with the soil. 



Ujdund-marle is sometimes found of sihcious texture, in which 

 case it is good for stiff soils, as well as for others. It is also found 

 of different colors, when combined with argilaceous matter, and of 

 different qualities; that containing most lime or calcareous matter- 



