NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



405 



Here was something which the man knew, and 

 could prove. I consulted other farmers on similar 

 soils ; their testimony agrees essentially with his ; 

 I compared the best writers on this point, and came 

 to the conclusion, that plaster, if applied to 

 suitable crops, will do well on clayey loams. From 

 the example just given, and from scenes of others 

 tending to the same conclusion, I believe that 

 these soils are not exhausted by its frequent and 

 lmig continued use, if a good share, say half or 

 more, of what is taken off, is returned again to the 

 soil. 



By a similar process of reasoning, I arrive at the 

 conclusion that ordinary loams, light loams and 

 sandy soils even, admit the favorable action of 

 plaster, and are not exhausted by its use, if kept 

 reasonably supplied with organic matter, and 

 with those other salts on which crops partly de- 

 pend. 



Plaster of course cannot be of much use on lands 

 already containing sufficient of its elements, 

 sulphuric acid and lime. Enough is as good as a 

 feast; and if the soil contains enough of these in- 

 gredients, we need not add more. 



It has been observed by many practical farmers, 

 that plaster produces little effect on lands that 

 were originally timbered with beech, maple and 

 birch. I know not whether this is true ; nor, if 

 true, can I assign a reason, unless it be, that upon 

 the removal of such timber from land, the soil is 

 left with a sufficient quantity of plaster in it for 

 many years. If the observation be founded in 

 truth, and if the reason I have suggested be 

 the true one, it follows that sooner or later the 

 time will come, when plaster will operate favora- 

 bly on these lands; for if beech, birch and maple 

 lands contain an abundance of the elements of 

 plaster', upon the removal of the timber, yet it 

 may be exhausted, and when exhausted may need 

 to be re-supplied as other lands. To me it seems 

 quite passible, probable even, that there are 

 lands in one state, on which the use of plaster 

 was condemned, and with good reason, ten years 

 ago, but on which its use would now be highly 

 beneficial. 



There is reason to believe, as we shall hereafter 

 see. that a portion of the lime in plaster, in con- 

 sequence of a change which it undergoes in the 

 SOil, acts simply as lime, both in decomposing or- 

 ganic matter in the soil and in furnishing the plant 

 with a portion of its food. If so, it follows that 

 plaster cannot be very efficacious on lands that 

 contain abundance of carbonate of lime, unless in 

 favor of a few particular crops, which require 

 much sulphuric acid. Calcareous (limy) soils, 

 with such exceptions, cannot therefore be expect- 

 ed to exhibit any decidedly good effects from the 

 use of plaster. 



In order to t.he favorable action of plaster on 

 any soil it must either be naturally dry and warm, 

 or it must have been made so by draining. It is 

 worse than useless to plaster cold, wet lands.— 

 They are only made colder and wetter by the oper- 

 ation . 



If, then, we except lands infested with water, 

 those sufficiently furnished with the elements of 

 plaster, perhaps all lands in which beech, birch 

 and maple were the last growth of timber, and 

 partially those abounding in lime, it may be laid 

 down that all lands, of sufficient consistency to 

 deserve the name, admit the favorable action of 



plaster, if the land be fairly dealt with, that is, if 

 it be duly supplied with organic matter, and with 

 such other salts as plants require. These latter 

 conditions are indispensable. It would be as un- 

 reasonable to expect your land to produce well, by 

 plaster alone, as it would to expect your horse to 

 lie made strong to work, on water alone, when it 

 is plain that he requires grain and hay as well as 

 water. Plaster is good, but it cannot do every 

 thing for the soil, any more than water can do 

 everything for the horse. Men have neglected 

 to furnish the soil with other essentials of produc- 

 tiveness ; have omitted essential conditions of suc- 

 cess ; have expected plaster to do everything ; and 

 because it has not done everything, or, if it liter- 

 ally did everything for a few years and then re- 

 fused to do it forever, they blame it as doing no- 

 thing, or at best as doing nothing after a few years, 

 and leaving the soil exhausted. 



2. What are the crops for which plaster suc- 

 ceeds? The general answer is, those which con- 

 tain in their compositions a large amount of the 

 elements of plaster, sulphuric acid and lime. A 

 crop which contains a large amount of both these 

 elements, may be expected to be greatly benefited 

 by plaster ; one that contains a large amount of 

 one and considerable of the other, in a less degree ; 

 and one that contains little of either, still less. 



Let us now see what crops may be expected to 

 succeed by the aid of plaster on these principles. 

 An ordinary crop contains, per acre, as follows : — 

 Su/ph. Acid. Lime. 



Wheat 0,44 8,88 



Oats 5,80 12,00 



Rye 2,74 16,00 



Barley 4,30 15,60 



Broom Corn 2,66 1,90 



Rice 5,93 1,82 



Buckwheat 0,59 1,14 



Timothy 6,19 0,20 



The foregoing crops, containing but little of the 

 elements of plaster, we should not expect them to 

 be very greatly benefited by its application. If ap- 

 plied, it may be of some benefit to them, but would 

 be likely to benefit a clover crop, which might fol- 

 low, far more. The idea I wish to convey is, not 

 that plaster is of no use for the foregoing crops ; 

 nor that under peculiarly favorable circumstances 

 it might not be of great service, but that as a gen- 

 eral rule, if applied to these crops for their sake 

 alone, without any reference to succeeding crops, 

 it cannot be relied upon to give a profitable return ; 

 that it is not the appropriate dressing for these 

 crops. 



We now turn to a class of crops which contain 

 of the elements of plaster, as follows, per acre, 



omitting fractions : — 



Su/ph. Acid. Lime. 



Peas 32 190 



Tobacco 10 10tJ 



Hemp 6 194 



Flax 8 51 



Inilian Corn 29 13 



Red Clover 2 43 



White Clover 3 43 



Beans 2 37 



Hops 20 180 



Beets 91 110 



Carrots H5 191 



Potatoes 50 29 



While Tujriiips " 8 107 , 



Cubages?... 56 14 



Meadow Hay 31 74 



Our principle would not require us to believe, 

 that these crops would be benefited equally by 

 plaster. An inspection of the last table might lead 

 to the conclusion that some of them hardly belong 



