C 51 ] 



The following letters though not written for public view, 

 yet contain much matter which should not be lost. 

 They are therefore thought worthy of being inserted 

 among the transactions of the society* 



On Gypsum, 



Read June 13th, 1809. 



Fort Royal, Virginia, January 30th, 1809. 



Dear Sir, 



I have postponed answering your two obliging letters 

 of May last, hitherto, lest the very great pleasure of 

 your correspondence, should seduce me to be trouble- 

 some, in the number or length of my letters ; and I fear 

 you will allow my apology to be a good one, before you 

 get to the end of this. 



Your warning against a reliance on gypsum, and ne- 

 glecting manure, induces me to give you an idea of my 

 practices respecting both, in hopes of obtaining your 

 corrections. For many years I have enclosed all my ara- 

 ble land at each farm, in one enclosure, and excluded 

 grazing entirely, leaving the whole vegetable matter the 

 land produces, to return, taking a crop of corn and one 

 of wheat, every three or four years. To increase vege- 

 table cover I sow large fields of clover, cutting only a 

 small proportion for seed and for feeding green. These 

 are treated with plaister, and the clover is plowed in dry, 

 when the field comes into culture. It is cheaper to 

 plough it in dry than green, on account of the different 

 seasons of the year for the operations ; and however 



