[ 266 3 



On American Gypsum^ 



Read November 9, 1813. 



Belmont y October 30, 1813. 



Dear Sir, 



This day only, I received the enclosed letter ; for 

 which I am much obliged to Philip Churchy Esq. of 

 the state of New York, Before I was informed of the 

 letter of Mf. Cisty inserted in this volume, I took pains 

 to gain information on the subject of it ; and WTOte to 

 Mr. Churchy for the purpose. Although the letter of 

 the former would have been sufficiently satisfactory ; 

 yet Mr. Church'^s account is not only corroboratory, 

 but it adds circumstances well worthy of notice. The 

 inexhaustible quantities, and accessibility, of this all- 

 essential material, — the Plaster ; — found in our own 

 national territory ; — not liable to obstruction in its 

 transportation, by disturbances on the ocean ; — and 

 withal so perfectly convenient to our own state; — 

 must be a source of singular satisfaction. More espe- 

 cially to those (myself particularly) who recollect the 

 small, and, for a long time, unpromising beginnings, 

 of this now great and widely extended improvement to 

 our husbandry. — Not longer ago than the time of pub- 

 lication of our first volume, in 1808 ; the subject of 

 its existing, in any great quantities, Avithin our territo- 

 ry, and its description, or quality, was involved in 

 doubt and obscurity. Now, a full development is 

 made ; and the facts are actually tested, by the irrefra- 

 gable evidence, of experience, on a large scale. To a 



