Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 203 
in, plaster will act with profit. Plaster will do very little good to 
make any of the cereal grains grow on old or exhausted land, except 
clover be sown with it. The clover growing shades the land, keep¬ 
ing it moist, and the wheat or other grain will fill better than if 
there was no shading or clover with it, besides the clover wfill in a 
large degree take the place of weeds, which it will choke out if it 
is made to grow strong and vigorous. 
A simple rule will enable any one to determine if plaster will 
benefit his crops. If the crop looks yellow and sickly, he may be 
sure plaster will greatly benefit it. If the leaves are tinged with 
purple or red upon the ends, although the growth is small, plaster 
will do no good; the farmer must look for some other remedy. 
Probably his land wants drainage. If the growth is rank, of a dark 
green color, and vigorous, plaster will do very little, if any, good. 
The plant-food in such soil is in a condition to be readily taken up 
by the plant without the aid of plaster. 
It may be asked, how do you know about these things? I an¬ 
swer: I have used on my farm in the past eight years at least sev¬ 
enty tons of plaster, and have sown as much as eighty bushels of 
clover-seed, and have practiced turning my clover-sod in the fall, 
after cutting my second crop of clover for seed or for hay, and sow¬ 
ing to wheat or planting to corn, with good results every time. 
Pardon the egotism, but I have more than doubled the production 
of my farm in the past eight years by the use of plaster and clover, 
as indicated above, without extra expense more than the resultant 
profits year by year. There is no secret about it; any man can do 
as well, if he will but use the proper means at his command. 
Question. What kind of soil is your farm? 
Mr. Allen. My farm is both prairie and openings, about 
equally divided, but the plaster does not act with as much effect 
upon the prairie soil as upon the openings, at least it does not act 
as quick; but on any soil with the proper conditions it will make a 
very great difference. 
Question. How much to the acre do you sow? 
Mr. Allen. About ten pounds. 
Question. In what way ? 
Mr. Allen. I sow it broad-cast. 
Question. What time would Mr. Allen sow plaster on meadow 
or pasture? 
