68 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
prises a general view of what hits been done in this de¬ 
partment. It commences with a tabular view of the 
minerals which have hitherto been found in the state, 
which is followed by concise remarks on each. We shall 
confine our notice to such as are more immediately in¬ 
teresting to the farmer. 
ANTHRACITE AND COAL, 
are found in various localities, but not in sufficient quan¬ 
tity for any useful purpose. 
PEAT. 
“ Of this useful, but almost entirely neglected combusti¬ 
ble,” says Dr. Beck, “ we have already discovered numerous 
important localities; and many others will undoubtedly be 
added before the completion of the survey. The time cannot 
be far distant, when the value of this article will be duly ap¬ 
preciated. In many countries it is extensively employed as 
fuel; and in several manufactures it might be used with 
great advantage, as, for example, in the burning of bricks, 
limestone, &e.” 
As a fertilizing material for the soil, peat offers an 
almost inexhaustible supply, or at least the muck in our 
swamps, which more or less partakes of the properties 
of peat. It is vegetable food; but generally in an in¬ 
soluble state. To render it available as vegetable food, 
the admixture with it of gravel or sand sometimes suf¬ 
fices; at other times it is necessary, in order to render 
it soluble, to bring it in contact with recent manures, 
lime, or other fermenting or heating matters. At other 
times, paring and burning the surface is the best mode 
of improvement—the action of fire, and the salts which 
the ashes yield, effecting a chemical change in its quali¬ 
ty. Sometimes thorough draining of swamps induces 
great fertility. In-sall cases, we believe, it is profitably 
used as a bedding in cattle yards. It absorbs the liquids, 
is broken down and blended with dung by the tread of 
the cattle, and is thereby rendered completely soluble, 
and enriching to the soil. 
CARBONATE OF LIME, 
in most of its varieties, is found in many of the counties. 
The term marbles is confined to those varieties which 
are susceptible of a polish; and these frequently con¬ 
tain carbonate of magnesia, which, according to re¬ 
ceived opinions, renders them unfit for agricultural pur¬ 
poses, though they are mostly adapted to building pur¬ 
poses. Beds of marble are found in Westchester, Put¬ 
nam, Dutchess, Columbia, Ulster, Albany, Schoharie, 
Oneida, Madison, Onondaga, Wayne, Niagara, Washing- 
ton, Warren, Essex, Clinton, Franklin and St. Lawrence. 
Is some of these localities the stone is white, in others 
grey, variegated, &c. 
A great improvement, in the economy of burning 
lime, is mentioned in this report, which consists in the 
use of refuse screenings or dust of anthracite for fuel, 
instead of wood, and the employment of a perpetual 
kiln. It is stated on the authority of Dr. Jackson, that 
the lime burnt at Thomason, Maine, and “which serves 
to supply nearly all the cities on the Atlantic coast with 
the lime used m their buildings, and for agriculture,” 
brings to that town alone half a million of dollars. 
“ Here, then,” says the Report, “ we have the singular 
tact, that fuel is transported from the city of New-York to 
Thomason, and the lime procured by its agency again trans¬ 
ported to New-York Now, the lime thus obtained must be 
greatly superior to that which is produced from our lime¬ 
stones, or else our citizens have been strangely neglectful of 
their interest in this respect. I have reason to believe that 
the countless of Westchester, Orange and Dutchess, contain 
limestones which would yield lime equal to any elsewhere 
manufactured And with the improvements already intro¬ 
duced into our limekilns, as well as in those of Maine, one 
would suppose that our lime could be afforded at a much 
cheaper rate in the city of New-York, than that which is 
transported from a distant part of the United .States. This 
subject commends itself to the enterprise of our fellow-citi¬ 
zens.” 
HYDRAULIC OR WATER LIME. 
We have quoted the report on this subject, in another 
column. 
GYPSUM, PLASTER OF PARIS, OR SULPHATE OF LIME. 
“This important article, for which until within a few 
years past we were almost entirely indebted to '•ova Scotia, 
may now be ranked among the great mineral products of our 
state. 
“ Gypsum, when pure, has a snow white colour, but it is 
often tinged with red, yellow, hlueand grey, in eonsequence 
of the admixture of foreign substances. YVhen crystallized, 
it is foliated, but it also occurs granular and compact. The 
foliated varielies are called selenite , while the compact ones 
are often known by the name of alabaster, it is d stinguished 
from carbonate of lime by its being less hard, us it may be 
scratched by the fingernail; acids, when applied to the car¬ 
bonate of lime, cause an effervescence, owing to the escape 
of carbonic acid—but no such effect is produced by a similar 
application to the sulphate oflime. 
“ The variety of sulphate of lime which is most abundant, 
is composed of sulphuric acid and lime, with about twen¬ 
ty per cent of water. Whenever it is used for architectural 
purposes, this water is driven off by the application of heat, 
the operation being commonly known by the name of boiling. 
The calcined or boiled plaster, when made into a paste with 
water, speedily hardens, and it is employed in this way for 
walls for stucco, for taking casts of statues, @ stereotyping, 
&c. Gypsum is moreover largely used in agriculture, and it 
is consider d an invaluable fertilizer. 
“ Of this useful mineral, we have numerous and very im¬ 
portant localities. They are, however, almost exclusively 
confined to the district bordering on the Erie canal. I am 
aware that it occurs in the counties of Columbia, Albany and 
Schoharie, but however interesting the specimens here pro¬ 
cured may be for the cabinet of the mineralogist, the quanti¬ 
fy is nowhere sufficient to answer any other purpose. 
“ The west end of the town of Starke, in Herkimer county, 
es the most eastern point at which gypsum has been found in 
any great quantity. According to Mr. Vanuxem, it occurs in 
white sandstone, the grey band of Mr. Eaton, and he re 
presents it as being while and equal to the Nova Scotia both 
before and after calcination From twenty to thirty tons had 
been obtained by Mr. Grill, the proprietor, during the sum¬ 
mer of 1837. 
“ In Oneida county, gypsum is found in beds of vast ex¬ 
tent It is sometimes pure, being foliated and transparent; 
but the largest proporlion is dark coloured, and is mixed with 
carbonate of lime, constituting what is usually called plaster 
stone. This last is used for agricultural purposes, and when 
deprived of its water by calcination, as a cement. 
“ Localities of this mineral abound in the county of Madi¬ 
son. It is sometimes foliated and granular, but usually as in 
the above couniy, itbelongs to the common or impure variety. 
It occurs imbedded in gypseous marl, every where forming irre¬ 
gular or somewhat rounded or conical masses rarely more than 
forty or fifty feet in diameter, and usually from fen to twenty 
feet in height These hillocks seem to be detached, and the 
conclusion is almost irresistible that they have been formed 
after the tipper strata of rock have been deposited. The 
masses of gypsum are a foot or more in thickness, and weigh 
from four to six hundred tons. I can give no details concern¬ 
ing I he amount of this mineral annually raised in t his county, 
but in the town of Sullivan alone it is said to be from four to 
seven thousand tons. 
“On the route from Chittenango to Syracuse, in Ononda¬ 
ga county, conical elevations similar to those already noticed, 
are of frequent occurrence; some of w hich have already been 
opened and found to contain deposites of gypsum, while oth¬ 
ers are left as the reward of future enterprise and labor. 
“ The interesting region around Onondaga lake, oi which I 
have heretofore attempted to give an account, contains ri ad¬ 
dition to its other sources of wealth, some important deposifes 
of gypsum. At Liverpool, the fibrous variety, then compa¬ 
ratively rare in this state, was found several yeais since, 
about twelve feet below the surface of the e.irih, associated 
with marly clay Recently the excavations made for the con¬ 
struction of the rail-road from Syracure to the Split-Rock 
quarry, have opened an extensive bed of the same valuable 
mineral. At this locality are to he found several varieties; 
as the foliated, the fibrous, the snowy, and the common or 
dark coloured—the whole imbedded in a kind of gypseous 
marl which effervesces freely in acids, and contains variable 
proportions of the oxide of iron. Gypseous beds, similar in 
their general character, also occur in the vicinity of Manlius, 
from which large quantities have been exported. But proba¬ 
bly the most valuable deposites that have yet been opened up 
are those along the line of the Syracuse and Auburn rail-road, 
near the village of Camillus. We find here, among other 
varieties, noble specimens of transparent selenite, and what 
renders the locality peculiarly interesting, are the associated 
strata oi calcareous tufa, and of the singular hopper form crys¬ 
tals of marly clay. From forty to fifty thousand tons of gyp¬ 
sum have been obtained simply from the excavations which 
were necessary for the construction of this road. And this 
may be considered as merely a specimen of what is still hid¬ 
den in the adjoining hills. 
“Beds of gypsum occur in various parts of Monroe county. 
Specimens of the foliated variety, with a rose colour, have 
been found below the Genesee Falls, at hoehester, and no¬ 
dules of snowy gypsum are quite common in the calciferous 
slate at the same place. Gypsum is also obtained in small 
quantities in the towns of Piitsford, Riga and Chili; but, ac¬ 
cording to Mr. Hall, the workable beds of ibis mineral are 
almost wholly confined to the southern part of the county.— 
•Along the valley of Allen’s creek and Mill creek, two miles 
north, most of the plaster of Monroe couniy is obtained. Both 
these places are in the town of Wheatland At present about 
5,0U0 tons of plaster per annum are obtained from this town; 
of this quantity, 4,000 tons are used in Monroe Co.’— Hall's 
Report for 1838. 
“ In the counties of Cayuga, Wayne, Livingston, Ontario, 
Seneca and Tompkins, beds of gypsum have been found in 
various places; but I have no means of determining even the 
probable quantity which they yield. 
“The localities of this mineral in Niagara county are of 
considerable interest to the mineralogist. At Lorkport, beau¬ 
tiful specimens of transparent selenite and snowy gypsum 
have been found, associated with pearl spar, sulphate of 
strontian, and the rare anhydrite or anhydrous sulphate of 
lime. Snow while granular gypsum also occurs near the Falls 
of Niagara, with occasional specimens of foliated selenite of 
a fine sky-blue colour. At all these localities, the gypsum is 
imbedded in the geodiferous lime-rock of Professor Eaton, but 
it does not, to my knowledge, occur in quantities sufficient 
for useful purposes. 
“A very imperfect idea of the quantity of gypsum which 
exists m this state, will be obtained from the sketch which 
has now been given. Even if we had the means of ascertain¬ 
ing exactly tlie number of tons at present annually raised, 
which I think canr.ot be less than 50,000, it should be borne 
in mind that regular explorations are seldom undertaken, and 
that the amount, whatever it may be, is mainly the result of 
accidental discovery, and of occasional labor by the farmer 
during, the intervals of his other avocations. Immense beds 
still lie unopened, which will at some future day yield their 
treasures. Perhaps one reason why greater attention lias not 
been paid to the enormous deposites of gypsum and marl 
which exist iri the western part of the state is, that the soil is 
naturally so fertile as seldom to require the employment of 
those artificial means of renovation w hich in most other coun¬ 
tries are necessary to the success of the agriculturist. Still it 
cannot be doubled that in many situations even here, much 
advantage would be derived from the use of ihese efficient 
fertilizers. Lime, marl and gypsum, all of which can he so 
easily and so abundantly obtained in the region in question, 
have almost entirely changed the agricultural character of the 
states of New-Jersey and Pennsylvania; but it appears to me 
that in no part of our state which I have visited, is the value 
of these articles duly appreciated.” 
“ MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PORCELAIN. 
“The localities of clays suitable for the manufacture of 
brick and the common kinds of earthen ware, are too nume¬ 
rous in this state to be at present noticed, and their descrip¬ 
tion belongs rather to the department of geology than to th <t 
of Mineralogy. Many of these have already been noticed in 
the reports of the geologists, and Prof Mather has presented 
some details which show the importance of the blanch of in¬ 
dustry included under the art of hrickmaking. 
“ The manufacture of the finer kinds of pottery has not 
heretofore been carried on with much success in our country. 
Whether this be owing ts the superior facilities which are 
possessed by the English and French in regard to materials. 
or to the reduced price of labor, it is not easy to determine. 
My present objeet is merely to show that New-York is not 
destitute of the materials necessary for this, branch of art. 
“ The finer kinds of poifery require for their inanufaeture 
the puresl days—such as contain little or no oxide of iron and 
which consequent!} do not turn red in burning. To iheEe a 
portion of pure silica is added, which is prepared for the pur¬ 
pose by heating masses of flints or quarts, quenching them in 
water and then reducing them to powder m a mill. 
“ Clays of a good quality occur abundantly in various parts 
of Staten and Long-Island, and upon proper trial they would 
no doubt be found to answ er the pm poses of this manufaci lire. 
There are also several localities in Orange county, where si¬ 
milar materials may be obtained. 
“ Near Southfield furnace, in the latter county, is a bed of 
decomposed feldspar, known by the name of porcelain earth, 
which will probably be of great value in the manufacture of 
pottery. This substance is of a pure w hile colour when dry, 
a little unctuous, and is suppo-ed to be ahui dant. 
“ As for feldspar, used in glazing and also in the body of the 
finer kinds of pottery, we have several localities in Orange 
couniy, in Warren county, near Caldwell, and also in the 
counties of Jefferson and St. Lawrence, while quartz, of a 
good quality and in sufficient abundance for the same purpose, 
is found in Orange. Columbia, and other counties. 
“ Those who are at all acquainted with the history of the 
arts, both in this and in other countries, must be aware that 
their progress has oftentimes been extremely slow, aud it will 
not be surprising if the manufacture in question, although 
now of so little value to us. should become an extensive and 
important one. Previously to about the year 1760, England 
depended wholly upon other countries for the finer kinds of 
pottery; the English ware being generally of an inferior qua¬ 
lity. Butina few years after the investigations and conse¬ 
quent, improvements of Mr. Wedgewood the current of im¬ 
portation of even the finer earthen w ares was changed in that 
country to exportation, and their manufacture has at length 
become of such vast extent that it is not easy to calculate its 
value. 
“ So it has been with many of the arts now successfully 
prosecuted in our own country. A great number of articles, 
for which we were but a few years since entirely dependent 
on foreign nations, are now manufactured by our mechanics 
and in our own workshops.” 
THE BUDGET. 
$3- A subscriber wishes Mr. Garnet’s opinion of the 
best method of applying manures to land. 
03“ Mr. Love’s request will be made known to Mr. 
Pitts as soon as the latter arrives at Albany, which is 
daily expected. 
ROOT SLICER. 
We have received from our esteemed Lockport cor¬ 
respondent, J. E. a drawing and description of a root- 
cutter—the knife to cut both ways, fixed in a frame, 
which is to be moved by manual power, on a horizontal 
frame, backward and forward, under the hopper con¬ 
taining the roots. The objection to the machine would 
seem to be, that it possesses no economy or multiplica¬ 
tion of power—but must be propelled by main force, 
without the aid of any of the mechanical powers, as 
the lever, wheel, &c. We have seen cutters which we 
deem preferable. 
WILD GARLIC OR WILD ONIONS, *C. 
A Staten-Island “Subscriber,” asks directions for ex¬ 
pelling wild onions, or wild garlic, from his fields, and 
of removing the taste of them from milk, &c. The 
wild garlic is a bulbous perennial plant, and is a trou¬ 
blesome pest in many districts of our country. It is as 
hardy as the Canada thistle, or quack grass, and as te¬ 
nacious of life; and can only be destroyed, like the 
thistle and the quack, by preventing the growth and 
maturing of the top—whiclTis effected by ploughing 
and hoeing during the spring and summer months—by 
spring crops. No plant can survive the growing season, 
without leaves, its elaborating organs. 
We find in the Memoirs of the Philadelphia Ag. Socie¬ 
ty, several communications confirmatory of the above be¬ 
ing an effectual mode of destroying the wild garlic.— 
We will cite the experiment made by Paul Busti. He 
ploughed his field early in the spring, which was infest, 
ed with the wild garlic, and prepared it for Indian corn. 
Garlick came up, but was cut down and overturned by 
the hoe and ploush, in dressing the crop. Few escaped 
unhurt. “Determined, however, that none should re¬ 
main, and convinced by the simple reasonings of plain 
good sense, that the frequent stirring of the ground, 
[destruction of the leaves or tops,] must prove the best 
check upon the growth of any vegetable, I converted in 
the spring,” says Mr. B. “the corn into a potato field, 
adding a good deal of manure. I may with truth boast, 
to have perfectly succeeded in subduing the garlic; for 
among the rye harvested this year from that spot, not a 
single seed of garlic was discoverable.” 
Algernon Roberts wholly destroyed the garlic in a 
field, by a succession, for some years, of spring crops, 
corn, oats and clover, accompanied by gypsum and ma¬ 
nure. 
To destroy wild garlic, says Cooper, a system of 
good farming must be adopted, founded on good manur¬ 
ing and fallow crops, (not fallows,) where the crop re¬ 
quires careful horse-hoeing. 
Quack grass is destroyed by three or four years of 
close pasturing—because the cattle destroy the roots by 
keeping down the tops—but as cattle will eat the tops 
of neither the thistle nor star of Bethlehem, these can 
only be eradicated by tillage—byspiing, by hoed crops. 
To remove the taste of garlic or turnips in milk, it is 
directed, in the Domestic Encyclopedia, to pour into 
each gallon of milk, when it is fresh from the cow, one 
quart of boiling water. The flavor of the garlic and 
turnip being volatile, is set free and expelled by the heat 
of the water. 
A Rev. Clergyman, who has recently located himself 
