AND RURAL ECONOMIST. 205 



■^■inced that the experiment of the use of gypsum in this 

 quarter has not been fair and full. 



' It IS of no service on low lands, or on good land, nor of 

 much use to any products except to clover and lucerne ; but 

 on sandy and gravelly soils, and applied to these plants, espe- 

 cially in dry seasons, I am convinced it will prove valuable. 

 I paid only four dollars for ten bushels, ground ; and I appli- 

 ed only sixty cents' worth to this land, and am convinced, 

 that the plaster will increase the value of the second crop to 

 five times the cost of the application.' 



A writer for the Genesee Farmer, with the signature V. 

 W. S., recommends to sow plaster from the box of a wagon, 

 driven slowly over the field in which it is to be distributed. 

 He sowed five and a half bushels of plaster over four acres 

 of meadow in just an hour, and performed his work ivell; 

 sowed the ground twice over, extending the cast each time 

 to the track the wheels last made, by which the driver guided 

 his c jurse across the lot. The writer recommends a windy 

 day for his purpose, and believes a yoke of cattle might be 

 preferable to a horse. 



' It will be readily perceived that while my mode of sow- 

 ing plaster makes a great saving of manual strength, the 

 great advantage derived from it is in the expedition with 

 which the process is performed. One man and boy, in a one- 

 horee cart, can dress from forty to sixty acres per day, thus 

 making a very important saving of time at a season when 

 the farmer is obliged to husband closely. The injury of 

 driving a wagon over a field of grain would be but little, and 

 could not be considered a moment, when compared with the 

 value of the time gained. Let any farmer try it, and I am 

 satisfied he will never sow plaster from a pail on foot again. 



' I would add here, that in sowing from a wagon it will be 

 found necessary to stop occasionally, to pick up or loosen 

 the plaster, which becomes compacted by its motion. The 

 elevated position of the sower enables him to make a very 

 broad cast, and if advantage is taken of the wind, he will 

 be able to avoid the respiration of any great quantities of 

 dust.' 



Marl consists of calcareous matter, clay, and sand, or 

 some two of these earths, (of which lime or chalk is always 

 one) in various proportions. The blue clay marl is free 

 from sand. Clay marl is also sometimes of a yellowish 

 white, yellowish gray, or a brown or red cast. The shell 

 marl seldom contains clay. In schistus or stone marl, 

 18 



