120 



THE FARMERS* REGISTER. 



feet was seen, on that crop, (corn,) or any subse- 

 quent crop. 



III. 1818. "May 1st. Carted and sowed gyp- 

 seous earth in small quantities, on various parts of 

 my land. Most of \he places are in clover." 



" June 7ih. Observed a remarkable etiiect pro- 

 duced by the gypsum [meaning the gypseous 

 earth, or green-sand,] put on clover in Finnie's 

 field, May 1st. Soil, alight calcareous loam, near 

 the river bank." 



Ae this is the only case mentioned of eliecl be- 

 ing seen this year, it may be presumed that it was 

 the only case ofeffect, on the "various spots" tried. 

 I remember nothing more of them than what is 

 here stafed. 



IV. " 1819. March 19th. Two acres of a point 

 of Finnie's field marled at from 50 to 25 loads — 

 one load of gypseous earth iiad been previously 

 well mixed with every 30 of marl, except for the 

 two middle rows. Six bushels of the same [gyp- 

 seous earth] sowed on three-quarters ol' an acre 

 without marl. Land in clover, and more infested 

 with sorrel than any on the liirm." 



"Result. May 8. Decided benefit from the 

 gypseous earth, the clover being 50 to 100 per 

 cent, belter; on that sowed by hand, [the clover] 

 quite regular — that applied by mere mixture with 

 niarl is unequally distributed. The effect here is 

 as striking on partridge pea as on the clover." 

 Y V. "May 10. Sowed gypseous earth on all 

 that was not before plastered." October. "No 

 effect." 



This land, though so ilill of sorrel, was not na- 

 turally a very acid soil. It was light, dog-wood 

 and hickory land, and at first very productive. 

 After bringing one crop only, after being cleared, 

 (because then surrounded by wood, and thetelbre 

 the corn exposed to the ravages of vermin,) it was 

 left out, and covered by a very thick growth of 

 young pines, which were afterwards cut down, 

 and left to rot on the ground ; and which covering, 

 no doubt, produced most of the sorrel. The pro- 

 duct in corn was then about 20 bushels. 



VI. " 1819. March 12. Ploughed two acres of 

 open part of the grove, (among large oaks,) and 

 Bowed clover seed. 



" May 10. Clover came up very thick, and 

 stands well. Sowed on it 9 bushels of gypseous 

 earth. Good rain the following night." 



" Afterwards [the clover] destroyed by grazing. 

 Some little remamed until 1828, and never showed 

 any effect of gypsum." 



This soil was a moderately stiff clay loam, and 

 rather poor. 



VII. " 1819. May 10. Sowed 9 bushels of gyp- 

 eeous earth on the clover not before plastered on 

 the point of Fmnie's, on which experiment 

 [marked here IV] was made. Two small spots 

 left out, A heavy rain the night after. 



"Sept. 2. No effect this year." " Nor on the 

 corn in 1820, or the wheat in 1821." 



VIII. "1825. Two rows of cotton (House 

 field,) had a small handlLiI of gypseous earth 

 thrown on each parcel of seeds, before covering. 

 Kows passed through rich calcareous high-land, 

 (site of the old negro-houses,) newly marled land, 

 and low-ground. No perceptible effect." 



IX. " 1819. Jany. One ox-cart load of gypse- 

 ous earth was strewed on about half an acre of 

 the Point field just before ploughing : (about four 

 bushels of pure gypsum per acre :) soil calcareous, 



dark loam, rich enough to produce four to five 

 barrels per acre; had been grazed, but was still 

 covered with a good growth of vegetable matter. 



" Result. June 2d. The plastered corn is from 

 50 to 100 percent, better than the adjoining, and 

 the spot easy to distinguish at the distance of 200 

 yards, 



" Oct. 15th. The difference gradually became 

 less until the corn was ripe, when there was still 

 an apparent difference of 25 or 30 per cent. A 

 square of the plastered corn, 16 by 17 corn-hills, 

 and the same quantity adjoining of unplastered, 

 were to-day gathered anil carefully measured : 

 the latter produced three bushels of shelled corn, 

 and (to my astonishment) the former only one 

 peck more, or about 8 per cent. The growth of 

 the corn was by the plaster made much more rapid, 

 the plants much more luxuriant, and the size of the 

 stalk and shuck is now evidently much increased ; 

 and yet there is scarcely any increase in the grain. 

 Seasonable weather until Aug. 1, then severe 

 drought, Aug. 27, heavy rain, which, of course, 

 was beneficial according to the backwardness of 

 corn." 



X. " 1819. On poor, light, acid land, marled 

 previously at the rate of 800 bushels of poor marl 

 (25-100) to the acre, 4 acres were sowed with 

 gypseous earth at the rate of 20 bushels, and one 

 acre at 10 bushels. On another part of same 

 field, ofsomewhat belter land, and which was not 

 then marled, a quarter acre was covered at the 

 rate of 40 bushels of gypseous earth to the acre. 

 Planted in corn, 1820." 



The marl had great effect, " The gypseous 

 earth had not the slightest effect, [nor was any 

 certain on any after crops of corn or wheat. No 

 clover sown. In 1824, the corn on this part of the 

 field was the best; but the marks had been lost, 

 and no outlines could be traced ; and therefore the 

 better growth might or might not have been 

 caused by the gypseous earth.] Season very favor- 

 able ; enough rain, and never too much." 

 - XI. " 1820. Feby. Eight bushels of gypseous 

 earth strewed on a quarter acre of very light, free 

 land ; had borne only two crops since being clear- 

 ed. In corn. No effect. Nor on the wheat, fol- 

 lowing — nor on the little clover that stood." 



XI. " 1820. Feb. 24 bushels strewed on new- 

 ground [3d. Div. of South Field] soil, cold poor 

 whitish clay. In corn. No effect." Nor on 

 the wheat succeeding. No clover sown here on 

 the wheat. 



The field in which both the last were, was well 

 marled in 1823, fallowed, and in wheat in 1824, In 

 1825, I was surprised to see a fine growth of clover, 

 18 inches high, from the remains of seed sown in 

 1818, and which produced scarcely any visible 

 growth before. No effect of the gypseous earth 

 could be seen on this fine growth of clover. But 

 on another part of same field of cold clay soli, 

 where some of the gypseous earth had been 

 spread two years before, a great effect was evident 

 on the clover. This had been marled also in 1823. 



At the close of the year 1819, notwithstanding 

 the predominance of failures, I still had hopes of 

 gypsum (i. e. the gypseous or green-sand earth) 

 being profitable on my land. In some remarks at 

 page 37 of my Farm Journal for 1840, I express- 

 ed the intention of following wheat by clover 

 generally, " if I find gypsum and clover to equal 

 my expectations." No other gypsum had then 



