No. 5. 



Philadelphia Jgi'icultural Society. 



165 



peat, that the application of gypsum to sandy 

 land, if of genuine quality, and systemati- 

 cally worked into the land, would prove the 

 greatest benefit to the agriculturist. 



For Potatoes. — The following results of 

 gypsum on potatoes, are furnished by the 

 Kev. T. Skepworth, of Yorksliire: 



" In a plot of land which had last spring 

 been richly manured for early potatoes, we 

 apportioned three rows for the following ex- 

 periment: When the sets were cut, they 

 were immediately dipped into powdered 

 gypsum ; they were then placed in the 

 trenches, when a small portion of gypsum 

 was sprinkled upon each set. The trenches 

 were then filled up with earth, and a little 

 more gypsum sprinkled the whole length of 

 the rows, as a top-dressing. I am now con- 

 vinced the top-dressing is much better ap- 

 plied when the tops are about two or three 

 inches out of the ground, and very wet. 

 This finished the process, in which, as nearly 

 as we could calculate, we used about fifteen 

 bushels of gypsum per acre. I must here 

 state, that the gypsumed and ungypsumed 

 rows immediately adjoined each other; but 

 that if, as to the precise position of each, in 

 point of free exposure to sun and air, there 

 was any difference, it was in favour of the 

 ungypsumed rows. 



" On taking up, and carefully weighing 

 off the produce of the gypsumed rows 

 against the same number of ungypsumed, 

 we had an extra produce from the gypsum 

 of full 24 sacks, of 12 pecks each, per sack." 

 Second Experiment. — A plot of old swarth, 

 was, last spring, broken up for potatoes. The 

 greater part of the crop grew most luxuri 

 antly ; but the remainder, from being planted 

 near the roots of some fruit trees, exhibited, 

 in the spindled growth of their tops, a strik- 

 ing evidence of the exceeding poverty of 

 the soil. The grower determined upon a 

 trial of gypsum on this part, on which he 

 applied a top-dressing. A gentle rain fall- 

 ing a few days afterwards, which put the 

 gypsum into action, the effect was the as- 

 tonishment of all who saw it — the gypsum 

 seeming to impart an almost magic energy 

 to these poor and puny tops; and in defiance 

 of the extremely exhausted condition of that 

 part of the soil upon which the experiment 

 was tried, and the consequent backward- 

 ness of the crop, the gypsumed potatoes 

 were amongst the finest in the plot. 



The turnip fly. — A small farmer in my 

 own parish, on wliose statement I have the 

 fullest reliance, sowed, this year, some ruta- 

 baga, upon a piece of rather strong land. 

 No sooner had the plants arrived at their 

 second leaf, than they were so voraciously 



the plants seemed entirely destroyed, and 

 the rest to be rapidly following. There 

 seem.ed, in fact, no prospect of saving the 

 crop. Having, however, been informed that 

 it was my opinion gypsum would destroy 

 tlie fly, this person immediately top-dressed 

 the crop, at eight bushels per acre — more, 

 perhaps, tlian needful — and the consequence 

 was most striking — the sudden and entire 

 disappearance of the insect, and a most vig- 

 orous growth of the plants. 



N. 13. — The top-dressing for the fly, and 

 indeed all top-dressings, should be fine gyp- 

 sum, and applied either between showers of 

 rain or in the early dew of the morning. 



Every one extols, and justly so, the ma- 

 nure of the farm-yard; 3'et how few attempt 

 to husband it as they ought. "Far-fetched 

 and dear-bouglit" as some of our manures 

 are, the farmer continues to buy, whilst he 

 daily witnesses under his own nose the loss 

 of most valuable manure. Ammonia is 

 constantly rising from the stalls and dung- 

 heaps, which might be fixed by gypsum. 

 The urine is allowed to run anywhere but 

 into reservoirs or tanks, and is soon dried up 

 and lost. 



Philadelphia Agricultural Society. 



At a Stated meeting of the Philadelphia 

 Society for promoting Agriculture, held at 

 their Room, on the 4th inst.. Dr. Mease, 

 Presid't, in the Chair — 16 members present. 



Mr. Jacob Serrill, of Philadelphia County, 

 was elected a resident member. 



The Committee appointed at last meeting 

 to inquire into the existing laws to restrain 

 gunners from trespassing on farms, and des- 

 troying birds, in this county, &c., produced 

 a paper, containing an abstract from the dif- 

 ferent acts passed by the Legislature in re- 

 lation thereto, and were continued. 



A Circular, and letter received by Mr. 

 Gowen from Mr. O'Rielly, Secretary of the 

 New York State Agricultural Society, was 

 read, and referred to the Corresponding Se- 

 cretary, Dr. Elwyn. 



The Committee appointed to inquire into 

 the causes of disease and rot in Potatoes, 

 produced papers which were read, of a very 

 interesting character on the subject. 



On motion of K. Smith, Esq., a committee 

 was appointed for the purpose of taking into 

 consideration the propriety of offering pre- 

 miums for the best Agricultural Essays, to be 

 produced quarterly; and of publishing Me- 

 moirs of the Society. 



Mr. Gowen read a paper, giving an ac- 

 countof a great yield of Wheat, in Cheshire 

 England ; the amount was 53 bushels of 70 



lbs., on less than half a Cheshire acre; the 

 attacked by the fly, that great numbers ofil ground had been planted with potatoes and 



