204 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



Heckewelder, and by Mr. Peters himself. So 

 that the materials collected are to be considered 

 as the result of the agricultural .experience of 

 these respectable cultivators. They all agree 

 in the vast uiiliiy of gypsum as a manure in most 

 parts of Pennsylvania, where it has been tried, 

 it seems to be agreed on, that after ten or eleven 

 years' use, the gentlemen still entertain their good 

 opinion of it: that it remarkably recovers exhaust- 

 ed and impoverished land; that one bushel and' 

 a half, or two bushels, will be sufncieni, if year- 

 ly repeated, lor clover ; that it will answer well in 

 a sandy loam, upon a limestone bottom ; that 

 though it is serviceable when sirevved in powder^ 

 on gorwing plants, it succeeds best in repetition, 

 after cultivaiinir and dressing slightly with stable 

 manure, or with ploughing in green manures. 

 As to the supposed sterility occasioned by gyp- 

 eum, Mr. Peters observes, that his own experience 

 teaches him it does not exhaust more than other, 

 manures do, particularly dung, and that, to pro- 

 duce its full effect, it must have something to leed 

 on, as some farmers expjess it; that is, as we 



animal manures ; causing them to yield back their 

 principles to the earth and atmosphere as food 

 lor plants. In this decomposition the lime of the 

 plaster of Paris, unites wuh the carbonic acid of 

 the earth and air, forming carbonate of lime, and 

 the sulphuric acid unites with potash or soda 

 forming viiriolated tartar, or Glauber's salt. These 

 two alkalies, potash and soda, have the -strongest 

 affinity for sulphuric acid ; and gypsum when 

 given to the soil, will not be decomposed unleeg 

 it contains potash and soda, or their combinationa 

 with carbonic, muriatic and nitric acids, which 

 form the carbonate of potash and soda, the 

 nitrate of potash and soda, and the muriate of soda. 

 These five salts, as I have before stated, will de- 

 compose gypsum, as well as their bases. 



Farmers are olten disappointed in the use of 

 gypsum, and it is owing lo the circumstance that 

 there is nothing in the soil to decompound it. We 

 have reason to believe that this salt, when used aa 

 manure, lies dormant in the earth (or many years. 

 Dr. Meriwether inlormed me that in one in- 

 stance ten years elapsed, after using gypsum, be- 



suppose, to be valuable and active, gypsum musi lore the soil reteived any benefit fi-oni it. Gen. T 



meet with something in the soil lo decompound 

 it ; and where this is wanting, the plaster of Paris 

 does no good. When strewed on the surface, 

 it most remarkably benefits white and red clover, 

 and most grasses ; though it did not appear to do 

 any good to winter grain. It is good in all legu- 

 minous plants, buck-wheat, flax, hemp, rape, and 

 oily seeded plants; most products of the kitchen 

 garden, and for (ruit trees ; as well as for oats and 

 barley, when sprinkled at sowing time on the 

 wetted seeds. Mr. Peters has sowed gypsum at 

 all times of the year, and has (bund it answer well, 

 if strewed over the land at any time from the be- 

 ginning of February to the middle of April ; and 

 he directs it to be sowed in misty weather, to 

 avoid the loss of having it blown away by the 

 winds if sowed in a dry time. Some do not sow 

 it until vegetation begin-', thouah our author thinks 

 it will have an effect if sowed at any season. As 

 to the quantity of produce by the acre, Mr. Peters 

 affirms he gets as much from gypsum as from 

 any other manure ; that the hay is better than 

 that produced by dung; the cattle waste less of 

 it ; and, if the grass is used for pasture, the crea- 

 tures are much more fond of the plastered than 

 of the dunged produce. He is satisfied with a ton 

 and a half the acre at a cutting ; he mows twice, 

 and has a third growth lor grazing afterwards. 

 Its durability is such that, though sometimes it 

 will be exhausted in one year, yet the effect of one 

 dressing, of three or four bushels to the acre, has 

 been felt for five or six years, gradually decreasing 

 in its powers, and seems to be capable of proiorrg- 

 ing the efficacy of dung ; and has been known to 

 do good, when sowed repeatedly, and in small 

 quantities, for a continuance of twenty years or 

 more." 



. I regret that this valuable little work on gypsurti 

 cannot be obtained in Vircinia ; but from the 

 "review," brought before the reader, Mr. Peters, 

 is of the opinion, that " gypsum must meet with 

 something in the soil to decompound it ; and 

 where this is, wanting the plaster of Paris does no 

 good." So says his reviewer ; or in other words, 

 the plaster of Paris, belore it can benefit the soil, 

 must undergo decomposition ; and the lime being 



B. Randolph, uspd jnuch plaster on his Green 

 Creek (arm 12 or 15 years ago and it has not, until 

 within tiie last three or (buryears, fertilized the soil. 



Both salts and alkalies decompose gypsum or 

 sulphate of lime ; but the carbonate of lime seldom 

 meets with agents in the soil to reduce it lo its 

 principles ; hence it is that farmers fiiil in the use 

 t)f lime united with carbonic acid. 



Many theories have been given to the v/orld 

 on the suliject of lime as a fertilizing agent in 

 farming; but I cajinot believe lime acts as a ma- 

 nure, nor has it in my opinion any nutritive pro- 

 perties. By uniting with carbonic acid it sets free 

 a number of gases and other principles in the 

 earth and atmosphere, and they stand ready to 

 be taken up by the inhaling vessels, and tender 

 roots of plants. So that lime hastens the decom- 

 position of vegetable and animal manures, and 

 is nothing more than an exciting agent, disen- 

 gaging nutritive elements; and they become 

 Ibod (or plants to be elaborated into sap, mucilage, 

 oil, &c. From what has been said, it would seem 

 that lime acts indirectly as a manure, by perform- 

 ing the great work of disorganization, and may 

 1 with propriety be considered a stimulant. 



Quick-lime unites first with carbonic acid, if 

 within its sphere of attraction, and this union con- 

 tinues until the carbonate of lime is completely 

 formed; it then becomes inert, and the soil will 

 require another dose of lime in order to carry on 

 vegetable and animal decomposition. If the sub- 

 soil of eastern Virginia was composed of the car- 

 bonate of lime, it could not exert any influence on 

 its soil ; because in that state it would be inactive, 

 and must undergo decomposition and give up its 

 lime belore it can benefit the soil. In all calca- 

 reous countries the soil becomes exhausted by the 

 continued action of carbonic acid, and cannot be 

 reclaimed without the application of quick-lime, 

 flence we find in the richest limestone regions the 

 farmers are busily employed in burning lime-stone 

 as a manure for their lands. I should inler from 

 this circumstance, that lime loses its efllect, and is 

 not a permament manure. 



" Mr. Ruffin assures us, however, that it is per- 

 manent, and I beg leave here to quote his own 



Bet at liberty immediately acts on vegetable and language from his invaluable ' Essay on Galea- 



