98 On Plaister of Paris, 



cellent covering crop, and, like most tap rooted plants, 

 does not exhaust ; but on the contrary increases fer- 

 tility. I have known a good crop of wheat, follow the 

 ploughing in a luxuriant vegetation of young, succulent 

 teazle and thistles ; — tap rooted plants. These appa- 

 rent pests had for several years occupied the field. They 

 had operated as a cover, and, when ploughed in, as a 

 green manure. 



The lot on which I first strewed plaister, twenty-five 

 years ago, has not been ploughed during that period. 

 I have twice given it about half a top dressing of stable 

 dung. I have repeated the plaister three or four times ; 

 three, four and six bushels to the acre, at intervals of 

 three, four and five years. I should have preferred 

 ploughing, had it been convenient, as, in the second 

 crops, I am often tormented with Indian grass and 

 weeds. But the ground is on a part of my farm, where 

 the hay and pasture are more useful to me, than any 

 other crops. After dressing with dung, I have left a 

 part unplaistered, to compare it with the rest ; and al- 

 ways perceived a striking inferiority, where the plaister 

 was not strewed. I once repeated the plaister on a part 

 of it, without previously dunging, after it had been 

 mowed several years, from the time it was first plais- 

 tered. The plaister seemed to have no effect. But on 

 applying a sHght dressing of dung the next year, this 

 part was equally good with the Tt^\.,fsJ This lot is 



(^.yjl have notwithstanding this instance, frequently plais- 

 tered here and in other parts of my farm, and succeeded well 

 without dung; but never in the degree I have perceived 



