The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-09-26
K f VIE w.

particularly tire FOLLOWING (I5je7S, ziS TIE
yt Of Platter of'Pa,is, zvitb directions far u,fng
it.; and General O6jeryationJ on tire NJ Of
other manmes. On deep Pions hing: Trick
.josving Of Grain: Method Of preventing Fruit
Trees from 0eearing And Farming in Gene
raj. BY JOHN a. BINNs, Of Logdom county,
Virginia, farmer. end Edit. pr. By S. Plea
jzHtS, 1904.
Whoever" fays Swift, " can make two ears
of corn, or two blades of gratis grow upon ipot
ofground where only one grew before, deferves
better of mankind, and does more efentia fer
vice to his country, than the whole race of poll
ticans put together" Such is the very extra
VACANT compliment which this acute and much
admired writer, has paid TO the ufefu agricu-
turift 1t is extravagant, becaufe it is not juit.
If the enlightened politician had not already fe-
cured to each man the produce of his own Ia
bour, exempt from all unneceilary taxation, the
ingenuity and even the induitry of the farmer,
would have no inducement to difpay their influ-
ence. fthe Turkiih government in Syria had
better protected the property of one Individual
againft the violence of another, without en-
croaching itfelf upon the property of the peo-
pie, Volney would never have witnefied the po-
verify of its farmers, oblgedto plough their fields
with pointed and forked bough of tree, and
d.
cha and his officers, the icanty produce OF their
induftry.
IF fuch a compliment were indeed compati-
bic with truth, the author of the prefent trea-
tife might claim hyperion merit to many of the
difnsuiihed worthless of antent or modern
times. The niche, which Mr.. Binns would &C.
cupy III the temple of fame, under the miniftry
offich judgment as this obfervation difplays,
would be more proudly pre-emnent, than thofe
which ,,N,J he nteJt ,.,fl L,,0 &C. c.
Ion and Lycurges, of Jeftrfon and Fox. To
fuch an exalted merit as this is, MIR. Bins will
fcarcely venture TO aipire ; and even were his
expectations TO ridiculoully extravagant, it is
not po1ible that any impartial Judge will bear
him out in his pretenfons. All the merit to
which he can conceive himlelf entitled, will re-
fut from his having made fome experiments
more conclulive than thofe which have been al
ready inftituted in our own fate by which our
foil will probably be improved, and its produc-
tons con6derablv increaied. This too is the
degree of merit which no one who reads Mr..
Binns's Treatife, and who relies on his own az
fertons and in the certificates annexed, will be
willing to refufe to him.
The Title-page of this little treatife, will fif-
hciently explain the nature OF its contents. The
principal part of its So pages in the duodecimo
form, is taken up in explaining the ufes of the
Platter ofParis in farming. TO this important
part ofthe treatife, therefore, the following ob-
iervations and extracts will be principally con-
fined.
IF we confult the books of chemiRry, we nall
find that Platter of Paris, or Gypfnm, rs it is
technically called, is of that clafS Of bodies,
which called Neutral Salts. Like all other
fubfanccs of that clafs, it contains an acid with
ialihable baIe. The arid of Gypfum, is the
vitriolic or fuiphuric, fometimeS called in the
apothecares ihops the oil ofvitro. This is an
acid which any Que may make by burning brim-
ftone under cloie tumber, particularly if the
combuaion be facilitated By mixing fome nitre
with it. The acid, which rifles in a fmolle, will
be condenied into the form of drops againt the
6de of the lumber. The bajc of this Plaifteris
common lime. Water alto contributes part of
the combination The reiearches of the indefa-
tigabie Kirwan have attempted to eH.bfh the
proportion between thefe ingredients. He found
in 100 parts by weight of the Platter, about 50
parts of lime, 80 otthe fulphuric acid, and IS of
wafer. MIR. Binns has made the proportion of
acid much efs when in his 92nd page, he al
lows one ounce only of the oil of vtriol to three
pounds ofgenuine Plaifter.-This fubfance has
acquired different names from its different tex
ture and external appearance. The lapis fpecu-
laris and alabafter are of this kind.--By the ar
tits, it is principally employed for the eating of
frna!l ftatues, medallions aud other ornaments.
When they eXpoie it to moderate degree of
heat, part of its water is driven off, The dry
powder which remains, is mixed with water to
the confidence of thin PATE, and poured into
proper mould. The proper impretiion is thus
received.
The Gypfum, which comes to this country,
is principally brought from France and Nova
Scotia. Du Pratz has informed US, that it is TO
be found in Upper Louifana, whence the At
lantic States will probably procure it at fome
future day, when the labour of that country fhall
have become cheaper and the navigation of its
rivers more improved. The current price of
the Plailterin ftonc at Richmond, is about dol
lars per ton.
The experiments and otftrvations which Mr.
BinDs has made on the ufes Of this Platter in
farming, are fulceptihle of very familiar dfri-
button. We may arrange them as to the pTac-
tice and as to the theory. Having ftated the fats
which occurred to him in the courfe of his rural
operations, it was natural for Mr.. Bnns to make
fome efforts to explain them.
FACTS.
His experiments were principally made on the
vegetation of Indian Corn, Wheat, Oats and
Clover.--The retult of the NOT important ex.
periments which he originally made, are thus
detailed:
In 1887 purchaled about ten bufhels of paiaer,
which uled as follows-about three and half buih-
els of red clover orchard grais, &c. (But
the ufe of this flad, it called produced from