204 THE COMPLETE FARMER 



uee to any plants on a good rich, well manured soil. But I 

 have three decisive proofs of its utility on dry, hilly, gravelly 

 soils. 



' The first I shall unention was rn experiment made by the 

 late P'LPH Smith, Esq., of Roxbury, on a lofty hill of old 

 pasture land, he applied it for several years, and his own 

 conviction was, and it was also the full conviction of many 

 others, that it materially improved the condition of his pas- 

 ture. It was green at an earlier period, and the white clover 

 came into it more generally and luxuriantly than into other 

 lands in the same situation. 



' Seven years since, I applied plaster to a newly laid down 

 field of clover, one-half of which was a dry gravelly knoll, 

 with very little vegetable soil. When it was fit for cutting, 

 I showed it to the trustees of the Massachusetts Agricultr- 

 ral society, and without pointing out to them the part to 

 which the plaster had been apphed, they at once, on sight 

 of it, detected and pointed out the superiority of the crop 

 on the part to which the gypsu..i had been applied ; and 

 their designation agreed, by metes and bounds, with the 

 stakes I had driven, indicating the part to which plaster had 

 been applied, and which were then concealed by the grass. 

 This superior crop was on a pure gravelly soil, far inferior to 

 the rest, which was a deep rich loam. 



' This year I had a piece of clover in its second year of 

 growth. It was similarly situated. Two-thirds of it was a 

 gravelly thin soil. I cut the whole on the 10th day of June. 

 The gravelly part, owing to the drought, did not yield more 

 than half a ton to the acre ; the rich pprt an excellent crop. 

 As soon as the hay was in, I gave a dressing of plaster to 

 the gravelly knoll only^ at the rate of three bushels to the acre. 



' The effect has been as great as has ever been represented 

 to be produced by gypsum by persons in the interior. The 

 second crop on the gravelly land is far superior to that on 

 a rich and deep soil in the same field. It may be discovered 

 at ten rods' distance ; and you can mark by your eyes pre- 

 cisely the line of the ground to which the plaster was ap- 

 plied. You, sir, have seen this spot of half an acre, and can 

 testify whether its effects are not very obvious. I shall not 

 cut it for some weeks, unless compelled to it by a second 

 drought, and I invite farmers to see the effect of this experi- 

 ment, not new, because it is but a repetition of an old one. 



' I am induced to lay this subject before the farmers of 

 Norfolk, Bristol, Barnstable, and Essex, because I am con- 



