AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 145 



tation in quality, and quantity. The process of absorption of manures by 

 the minute fibres and roots of plants is very slow, and we can readily 

 believe that plants overfed by any soluble matter crowded upon the porea 

 and fibrous roots, will produce the most deleterious influence. 



Marl. — Varies so much in quality that no certain rule can be established 

 for its application. Some varieties are said to contain over 80 pounds of 

 carbonate of lime in 100, and in many districts not over five pouuds, which 

 accounts for the discrepancy in the statement received from those who have 

 applied it. The mechanical effects must vary materially. That possessing 

 a large portion of sand, with opening effects ; that of clay, binding. 



Some of the eff"eets of marl may be thus enumerated: 



Grasses. — Alters the nature and quality, and produces a higher order. 



Bogs. — Covers bog land with a rich short grass. 



Cereals. — Increases the quality and quantity, and the influence on the 

 land is of long continuance, aided also by the action and application of 

 other manures. 



Bill marls and lime exhaust the land, not supplied, after successive 

 crops, with decaying vegetable matter. This effect I am told is very visi- 

 ble in many parts of Pennsylvania. 



Gj/pstiTn. — Natural gypsum also varies in quality, but its invariable con- 

 stituents show clearly the cause of its fertilizing influence. 



Thus in 100 parts : Some — water 22, sulphuric acid 46, lime 32 ; others, 

 water 33, sulphuric acid 80, lime 32. 



Distributed on grass lands early in the spring, when the blades are cov- 

 ered with dew-drops, it has always been found beneficial. The dose may 

 be- very light, and the effect may be seen for years. 



THE CHESS QUBSTION. 



A letter from from Geo. F. Dinsmoor, of Elk, Warren County, Pa., was 

 read, as follows : 



" I was somewhat surprised, and perhaps a little provoked, at a remark 

 I saw in the Tribune not long since. It seems some one had sent the 

 editor a head of wheat with chess growing on one side. The Tribune 

 responds to the efiect that ' everybody knows now that wheat will produce 

 chess.' Some thirty years ago I demonstrated by actual experiment that 

 the thing could be done, and produced chess from wheat in a dozen instan- 

 ces. I can do it any time. It only requires to select seed that has been 

 thoroughly impregnated with the pollen of chess, and then subject it to 

 circumstances that would kill wheat and not chess, which is a hardier plant, 

 and the result will be chess every time. When I had satisfied myself in 

 the matter I said so, and subsequently wrote and published so, and endea- 

 vored to convince the farmers that the way to eradicate chess, was to 

 select seed among and near which no chess has grown. I found many 

 practical wheat raisers to agree with me. Our statements were met by 

 agricultural papers only with ridicule, and an array of arguments which 

 [Am. Inst.J 10 



