1836] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



187 



scraper, and greatly facilitated the operation of 

 covering. 



I have used for eight years past an ox-cart, 

 which, fonts simplicity, convenience and economy, 

 I can safely and confidently recommend. The 

 body or irame consists of two well seasoned oak 

 rails, about three inches thick and six wide, cou- 

 pled together by four cross bars, as in the ordinary 

 cart, and mortised through the flatside of the rails: 

 the sides, v?hich consist of boards of the desired 

 width, are supported by three moveable stancheons 

 on each side of the cart, confined each by two sta- 

 ples, the lower one driven into and near the bottom 

 edge o( the rail, and the other, in form of a clamp 

 Jet into the fop edge and securely nailed or screw- 

 ed down. These stancheons are so formed, us to 

 give a considerable spread above to the sides of' 

 the cart. The sides are kept from slipping back- 

 wards "and forwards, by batons corresponding to 

 the position of the stancheons, and the front and 

 tail-boards slide between batons, nailed on the 

 inner face of the sicles, and thus prevent the sides 

 from falling in "" 



formed of boards batoned together, the batons 

 corresponding with the cross bars of the body, to 

 prevent slipping back or forth. The description, 

 1 think, is sufficiently explicit to a general under- 

 standing of the plan. Should any of your corres- 

 pondents wish a more detailed account, I will fur- 

 nish it with pleasure. I have had one of these 

 carts in constant use for four years, without any re- 

 pairs, and to all appearance it is as good as ever. 



The advantages of this cart, besides its cheap- 

 ness, is, that you may dispense with that part of 

 it which is not immediately required: for instance, 

 m hauliuir wood or rails, you take off the sides and 

 bottom, leaving only the stancheons: this is a con- 

 siderable advantage, for all are aware of the se- 

 rious injury done to the sides and bottom of a cart 

 by pitching wood into it: and I am sure my oxen 

 have thanked me a thousand times for relieving 

 ihem of this unnecessary weight; and m hauUng 

 straw or hay, you unship the stancheons and in 

 their stead use poles. u. archer. 



men have written, it would be fourtd tliat they had beea 

 disseminating and establishing much more error than 

 truth. No traveller yet has paid any attention to, even 

 if one has possessed any knowledge of, the chemical 

 composition of soils, and their consequent fitness or 

 unfitness for particular productions, and particulai- 

 modes of treatment: and for such a one, there are 

 mines of usefuJ discovery and of knowledge yet to 

 open, in scientific and practical agricultural researcli. 



RECENT AND CURIOUS FACTS AND QUES- 

 TIONS, RESPECTING PLASTKR BEDS IN NEW 

 YORK. 



To the Editor of the Famicrs' Register. 



Geneseo, IV. V., June 3, 1836. 



I refer you to a copy of a communication I have 



The bottom is moveable, and i'"'' ""'.l'^^!" professor Silliman. Can you clear 



away the tog which you will perceive surrounds 

 us? Is it possible that the simple operation of 

 pulverizing will add ten-fold to the efficacy of your 

 ehell-marl? 



We owe thanks to the writer for this letter of scraps, 

 each one of which is interesting or useful. As to the 

 supposed change of our climate, we have no faith in it, 

 as either general or progressive. The observations 

 and novel facts as to the non-calcareous nature of what 

 has been universally termed limestone of Florida, are 

 to us particularly interesting. We have heretofore 

 been much puzzled by the accounts of pine forests 

 growing on soil evidently and highly calcareous — a 

 state of things which our doctrines as to calcareous 

 manures and soils, would pronounce to be impossible. 

 But not knowing the facts, we could not undertake to 

 deny what was so confidentl}'^ and generally asserted — 

 and could only, in silence, await their further develope- 

 ment. Our correspondent, if judging merely by the 

 eye, and by generally existing opinions, might well 

 have added his testimony to that of all previous travel- 

 lers; but by resorting to an easy chemical test, he was 

 enabled to pronounce safely that neither the "limestone 

 soil" or the "limestone rock," was in the slightest de- 

 gree calcareous. If we could have similar observa- 

 tions and actual tests applied to the agricultural parts 



An 'additional fact in relation to the fertilizing 

 quality of lime seems to be rendered very probable, 

 if not certain, by some experiments which have 

 been recently made in this town. A Mr. Moore, 

 in digging a well, hit upon a formation of soft or 

 fritdjie limestone combined with fossil shells of 

 great diversity of formation. Specimens were 

 sent in different directions, and there was but one 

 opinion, among those who tested them, that it was 

 a limestone formation. A bed of gypsum is verv 

 valuable. Mr. Moore and his neighbors appeared 

 determined to believe that they had discovered a 

 valuable gypsum formation on their farms. They 

 sent waggon loads to plaster mills, and grist mUls, 

 and caused, what they pronounced gypsum, to be 

 spread on a great number of fields, during last fall 

 and this spring. The result has been, in every in- 

 stance, that the clover, wheat and sprmg crops 

 have been essentially benefited by the application; 

 and Mr. Moore and his neighbors still believe the 

 substance which they are selling as gypsum, sur- 

 passes in efficacy either the Wheatland or the Ca- 

 yuga plaster. That this formation is equally effi- 

 cacious with the plaster which is generally used in 

 this section of the State, there seems no reason to 

 doubt; and that it Ls a limestone formation, is be- 

 yond the possibility of a doubt. 



Is it possible that the mechanical operation of 

 grindingor pulverizing crude or unburnt limestone, 

 renders it equally fertilizing with gypsum? It ap- 

 pears difficult to avoid this inference. Mr. JVIoore 

 has erected a windmill — is digging and vending 

 what he calls plaster in great quantities ; and the 

 fiirmers, from hundreds of experiments, entertain 

 the most entire confidence in its efficacy. 



With a view of obtaining some additional facts 

 on this subject, which, in its present stage, is a lit- 

 tle perplexing, a person called on Mr. Moore with 

 a vial of muriatic acid in his pocket. Mr. Moore 

 howed him specimens of Chillenango, Cayuga, 



of all the books of travels that either learned or literary | Phelpstownand Wheatland plaster — each of these 



