Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-12-11

,ervescc with any Of them. But its attraction for
! the sulphuric Is much more considerable than for
the nitrous acid, sid, therefore, when fully satu,a
ted with The former, the latter can exer, no infu-
enc on It, fcrn is a law of Chemical action that
two substances having an affinity for each Other,
being brought into contact, under sui able circum-
/ stances, they will unite and combine together in
eueil manner that they cannot be again sepaTat-
q ed but by the presence and Intervention OF some
third substance having greater affinity tor of
j the combined bodies than they have ior each o.
thef.
When then the nitrous acid is perceived 10 act
upon the Gypsum, it is a proof that the suphnric
acid not having been i'm quantity sufficient com
pctely TO saturae the lime iii has oaly been parti
I ally converted into Gyps ,and that portion, still
1rcmains unchanged, which is the part acted uuon
by the nitrous acid.
In whatever way the Plaster may be applied 10
crops, it must first undergo decomposition For so
Hong as it remans undeconpose the .uphuri acid
the operative material, will be neutralized by the
lime and will not Le in condition to act on the at
Dospllere, and he plaster will have more effect
than so much sand Or like quantity OF any other
NpulveTiZed rock
BY what the decomposition is caused il il diff
cult to determine, but that it is something proba
bly, carbonic acid derived from the Air is rendered
highly probable from the circumstances tina, i, III
1 remain imperative il buried too deep under
ground. That IL is an acid and acts altogether on
tic lime, is obvious Otherwise The Sulphuric acid
would not be set free in perfectly d,senga. ed
s,ais, but would uniy enter into new combination
be neutraized as before and remain perfectly in
active.
The best effect CT Plaster seems to be "a top
dressing, used on dry land, and in COOL div wea-
Their; as IN very wet season., and or low fiat,
wet lands its influence is not very discoverable
AS TO the modus operaudi, or manner in " hich
Plaster acts, II appears to he very generally i.,a
gined that il possesses the power OF stinua,i th,.
Earth into pf,ternatura action, and that however
beneficial 1t may be al first, it will alternately by
| long continued use, produce exlaustion and
cause more injury than it did good Az q.
pnion probably growing out of the fact ,hai a .uu
and unremittcd use OF it briggs anou, that condition
oithe sol, denominated &c paster-sck"
The subscribers TO this doctrine seem 10 consider
the Eafth somewhat i'll the light oil a lazy, slug
glsh beast that may be forced into motion great
~ beyond its natural gait, but if continual, put
forward, III this way, for too long PERIOD its spirit.
become broken, its strength Exhausted and IL final
y tires and becomes incapable of further rtior
until, by rcst,'it mas been enabled 10 recover Ms
\ wouted vScur.
4 This opinion, taken up hastily no doubt. ami
j without much reflection, but bearing the author
~ OF some great name aud wearing the air of ulau
sioiiity, seems TO have been ncautiously adop,
cd, merely because men in general had rather sub
scribe TO any opinion, difficult subjects that hAt
the plea OF p!ausibiiiy and ingenuity OH its side
and was ready made UP to their hard than b,
at the trouble and pains Of rejecting anu lormins
one Tor themselves. But, as light, heat, air amt
moisture are alone essential vegetation the RI
was the less necessity for resoriing to the siiu
!ant properties oil Gypsum and the excitability o
The earth: 1t being believed to be well estab
shed fact that the only, least the chief Office
OF the earth is simply to serve as matrix or be,
4 for plants 10 grow in, and as kind of labora,or,
in which the various processes CT vegetation arr
elaborated
Much, to be sure, depends on the nature. tex-
ture and preparation OF the soil, which should he
SUCH either naturally Or artiically, as readily &c
j lnbibe moisture ami to permit only OF its gratua
escape, that as much nourishment as possible NAV
be retained 10 feed the roofs OF the young plants
and to admit OF an easy extension of them.
When, therefore, the soil is not naturally such
as we would have II, il should be our business to
make i, SO. Sand is open, and generous
4 freely receiving and,as freely parting with heal
and moisture. Clay, on the contrary, is cold, dill
hculy penetrable, and very retentiye Thus
when our soil IS too sandy, should dress it with
clay. When clay too much abounds, with sand
Attention to the texture of The soii Is as nec sary
as manurng For, unless that is OF a suitable qua
MY, 1t Is scarcely possible, by any preparation we
can give II, 10 sfford 10 manure opportunity oil
eXertine its full power. lie chief virtue of which
1t is believed, resides in lis qucscent salts which
readily attract moisture from the atmosphere and
generate heat by thus fastening the decom, o,iAou
of its p,itresc mt PARTICLES: In this way proiucine
a effects similar to these oil plaster
Lands rendered sterile by an excessive use oil
plaster, and which then said TO be plaster
sick, are observed 10 he much in the condition 81
stiff cays that have been run together by hasty
u, III
50 that when attempt is made 20 cultivate tn m
they break up in clods and Will not produce This
arises, not. as has been imagined from tie streng
j of the earth having been exhausted by ,o5 gre
stimulation, but from the solvent property OF line
sulphuric acid contained III the plaster, (for, be-
sides its two bciorcin noned properties, IL is al,
known 10 possess that OF .oivenp which, oy dis.
solving portion OF the ferrugnous and other mi.
neral matters contained IN the ea,n and conver r.
ing them into clay, ultimately renders that soil 81
1 and obdura,e which before was open and free Sc
that the texture OF the land is this case, as in that
OF stiff cays, is no longe' such is proper or
geta;ion; Being too much conpac ed and It's par
ticIes too closely wedged into one another freely
to receive, retain and gradually transmit heat
moisture, Sc But this Is a discovery which ad.
at once to the remedy for in both case, it becomes
necessary that these lands should be dressed with
saDd, which should be poughed and mixed with
the earth so mnutey as to divide and separate the
PARTICLES OF clay and keep it loose and open
j When, no doubt, plaster lands as well as
those that sterile and unproduciive, from being
naturally too stiff and clayey, will be quickly re
stored and made to produce as well as ever.
4 The idea Of dressing lands with sand or clay,
according to circumstances, seems yet to have
been but little thought OF In Virginia. Nothing,
However, Is more certain that laat,n judiciousIy
applied, they will be found equally as valuable a.
any other dressing w: could give them These
things now well understood in England AS
any other process in farming. These pits both OF
sand and clay are opened and frequently they are
carried the distance OF many miles: 1t being a
well known observation there, that the first step
towards improving lands, if not naturally OF suit
able texture, is to make them artifically; he
Cause they know that this is necessary 10 give to
manure it, full effect
Formerly, before this was well understood and
attended to, and previous to the introduction Of
Gypsum, they attempted the Improvement OF their
AID II a.