138 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
all our readers would always call it by this 
name—the name indicates what it is composed 
of. The same substance is often called gypsum. 
It is found in large quantities in the form of solid 
stones or rocks in very many places—sometimes 
of a pure white; sometimes colored by iron or 
other metallic salts; and sometimes it is beauti¬ 
fully crystalized almost like glass. In its solid 
white or crystalized form, it is often called ala¬ 
baster, and is cut into vases and other ornament¬ 
al work. 
The solid sulphate of lime (plaster) contains 
considerable water. Thus, a piece of the crys¬ 
tal, or of the solid stone weighing 100 lbs., con¬ 
tains about 33 lbs. of lime, 46 lbs. of sulphuric 
acid, and 21 lbs. of water. Heat it strongly, and 
you expel the water, leaving only the sulphuric 
acid and lime. It is then called calcined plaster. 
Wet this and it will absorb the water again, and 
form a compact solid lump in a few minutes. 
It is thus used to take casts, and for plastering, 
etc. It was called plaster of Paris, because first 
used extensively in Paris for plastering. In Ger¬ 
many it is usually called gypsum. 
The calcined plaster is not good to use on the 
soil, because when moistened, it forms hard mass¬ 
es. The ground stone, unburned, is the material 
employed as a fertilizer. The refuse plaster 
which has been wet and hardened in stereotype 
foundries, and in other manufactories where 
plaster is used for taking impressions, for cast¬ 
ing images, etc., if ground up fine again, would 
doubtless be just as valuable for applying to 
land, as the ground stone unburned. The burn¬ 
ing only drives off the water combined with 
the plaster which is taken up again when it 
is wet for use. 
Sulphate of Lime as a Fertilizer .—For a long 
time past it has been found that the unburned 
stone ground to powder and applied to land, is 
often a very useful manure for many crops 
—and especially for clover. Twenty years ago, 
on the homestead farm, we were accustom¬ 
ed to go 40 miles for loads of plaster, during 
Winter, (laying $4 to $6 per tun for it ground at 
the mill. It was sown broadcast on the wheat 
fields in the Spring, at the rate of 200 to 400 lbs. 
per acre, and also upon summer fallow, and on 
wheat soils in the Fail before the final harrow¬ 
ing. It was also spread broadcast on corn land, 
and harrowed ir. before planting. Sometimes 
seed corn was wet and rolled in planter, and 
at other times a handful was sprinkled in each 
hill. In all these methods it was generally con¬ 
sidered a paying application, though wheat 
averaged less than $1 a bushel and corn less 
than 40 cents. It was frequently useful in all 
kinds of crops, but not uniformly so. The most 
paying application was on wheat land sown with 
clover seed in the Spring. A strip through a 
field sown with plaster, could be pointed out by 
the most casual observer by the better straw and 
grain; while the clover after harvest, indicated 
unmistakably the good ed'ccts of even 100 lbs. 
of plaster per acre, it was often tried upon 
meadows of timothy (Herds-grass) with good re¬ 
sults frequently, but not uniformly so, and its 
use was ultimately confined mainly to wheat and 
clover, peas, corn, barley, and oats. On some 
fields, and in some years, it appeared to be less 
useful, than in other instances, though we do 
not recall an instance of its having failed to ben¬ 
efit clover. We had no soil so poor that we 
could not get a good growth of clover by using 
plaster, with a little yard manure sometimes; 
and when we could turn under a large growth 
of clover, the soil was reliable for one or more 
heavy crops of wheat or corn. A trial of it was 
the only means of knowing on what soils it 
would be most beneficial. 
What we have said of our own experience, is 
true in the case of thousands of farmers the 
country over: and the probability that it will be 
useful on any soil, is so strong, that we have 
uniformly advised all farmers to make at least 
one trial of it—particularly on clover and wheat. 
From 150 to 500 lbs. per acre may be tried, sow¬ 
ing it broadcast on the growing crop; or what 
may be just as well, and often better, sow it 
upon the plowed ground and harrow it in be¬ 
fore seeding with the grain. Let it be tried 
upon grass land, on corn in the hill and broad¬ 
cast, and on other crops; but never condemn it 
until it has been tried on clover. 
How it benefits the crop, we need not discuss 
at length, for no one knows certainly. Some 
say one or both of its elements (sulphuric acid, 
or lime,) furnish special mineral food to the 
plant. We have favored the theory that it acts 
as an absorber of ammonia from the atmosphere, 
for the use of the plant. Its best effects with us 
were on a loam soil, already filled with lime, and 
abounding in limestone boulders and rocks. 
The lime could not be needed as a specific food 
in such cases. The water in the soil was abund¬ 
antly saturated with lime, so much so that well 
and spring water rapidly produced lime incrus¬ 
tations in a teakettle. We repeat again, that 
theory is at fault, and a trial can only determine 
where it will be useful, and where not. 
The plaster sold throughout the country, is 
generally pure enough for agricultural purposes, 
but not always so. The purest is a white taste¬ 
less powder. It is often of greyish color, owing to 
a very little admixture of iron, etc., but this does 
not materially lessen its value. It is also some¬ 
times mixed with ground clay, stone, slate, etc. 
The following tests can be applied by any one. 
1. Heat a handful to redness on a shovel, and 
let it cool. If it tastes strongly alkaline, like 
lime or potash, the presence of ground limestone 
is evident. 
2. Take a little fresh from the barrel, and pom- 
on it a few drops of sulphuric acid. If it effer¬ 
vesces (boils) there is ground limestone or mar¬ 
ble present, the amount of impurity depends 
upon the amount of effervescence. 
--»--—-- 
A Thousand Weeds at One Pull. 
A single pigweed ( Chenopodium album ) if left 
undisturbed, will ripen more than 10,000 seeds, 
each capable of producing a successor. The 
seeds of the dock, sometimes number over 13,000 
on a single plant, and the toad flax ( Linaria vul¬ 
garis) leaves provision for more than 45,000 plants 
the following year. Burdock will multiply 21,- 
000 fold, and the common stinging nettle ( Urtica 
dioica ) ripens 100,000 seeds. Scarcely a weed 
comes to maturity without scattering from 1,000 
to 10,000 or more seeds, to injure crops and an¬ 
noy the cultivator. This is not mere guess work, 
for painstaking investigators have actually 
counted and calculated the increase. A single 
pull at the commencement of the season, will 
destroy the whole progeny. 
It should be remembered that seeds ma¬ 
ture sufficiently to vegetate before they are per¬ 
fectly dry; and again, that the seeds are ripe on 
one part of a plant while there are flowers on 
another. Hence it is not safe to wait till the 
flowers are gone, before pulling up weeds. At¬ 
tack them before they blossom. Pull them up, 
or, if annuals, cut them off when quite green; 
and spread them in the sun to die. He who al¬ 
lows the weeds to grow in his potato field until 
[May, 
lie harvests the crop, is quite sure to sow many 
millions of seeds for next year’s trouble. 
This much for annual and biennial weeds. 
Perennials, like the dock, daisy and thistle, 
should be treated with greater vigor. Cutting 
off the tops once will not suffice. Digging them 
up one by one, root and branch, is the only ef¬ 
fectual remedy. Where they have invaded a 
whole field, plow up the land in the Fall, leav¬ 
ing many of the roots exposed to the action of 
the Winter’s frost. Plow again in the Spring, 
taking pains to pick out and carry off every 
root that appears. Devote the soil to some hoed 
crop, and let it be repeatedly and thoroughly 
cultivated through the Summer, waging war 
upon the pests without any relenting. If they 
are cut off below ground several times in the Sum¬ 
mer, they will grow weaker at every decapita¬ 
tion. The leaves being the lungs of plants, 
are essential to their breathing, and if this im¬ 
portant operation be stopped, they must soon 
give up the ghost. Remember, every extermi¬ 
nation of a weed this year, is the death of a thou¬ 
sand of the future crop. 
Detecting Frozen Seed Corn. 
John G. Stranahan, Macomb Co., Mich., writes 
that seed corn injured by freezing, may be de¬ 
tected by closely examining the part of the hull 
covering the gta-m of the kernel. When unin¬ 
jured, the thin skin or hull is smooth over the 
whole kernel, but if injured by frost, it will be 
loosened from the kernel, particularly at the 
germ. It is important to take every precaution 
in this matter, as hundreds of acres fail every 
year from imperfection in the seed, much of 
which is undoubtedly caused by having been 
frosted before dry. In all cases it is better to 
sprout a little before planting, to test its good¬ 
ness. 
Experiment in Butter Making. 
Mr. Zoller, of St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., at the 
request of the Committee of the State Agricul¬ 
tural Society, as we learn by their report, made 
an experiment as to the two much-discussed 
modes of making butter. He took 208 qts. of 
milk and strained into pans, set till the cream 
had thoroughly risen, and skimmed and churned 
cold, and obtained 17i lbs. of butter, ready for 
packing. The next day he took the same quan¬ 
tity of milk, strained it into the churns, and let 
it stand till sour, but not loppered, then churned 
and treated in the same manner and obtained 
191 lbs. of butter. Analysis alone can show 
whether the increased quantity of the second is 
caused by a larger per centage of casein, or by 
more perfectly extracting the butter. If the 
quality of the butter is equally good, Mr. Zoller’s 
method is worthy of the attention of our dairy 
men. 
To Keep Butter Sweet. —D. Edson Smith, 
contributes to the American Agriculturist the fol¬ 
lowing directions for preserving butter in good 
condition for any length of time. In May or 
June when butter is plenty, work it thoroughly 
two or three times, and add at the last working 
nearly one grain of saltpeter and a teaspoonful 
of pulverized loaf sugar to each pound of butter. 
Pack it tightly in stone jars to within two inch¬ 
es of the top, and fill the remaining space with 
strong brine. Cover the jars tightly, and bury 
them in the cellar bottom, where the butter will 
keep unhurt for a long time. 
