Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-02-16
farnrers Deportnrent,
From the Charleston Mercury.
GYPSUM AS a FERTILIZER.
GREENwoop, Jar. 90, lS5

NANCG-NhOob1 va '~S1 ASoN'
DEAR SIR: Your letter of the Goth of
June last, making inquiry about the applica.
tion OF Gypsum, and the benefits resulting
from it, came to hand in due time. de-
ferred answering your inquiries at that time,
from the fact that could not give you relia-
bic information as to the results, as it was
the first season that had applied it, and |
regret that my experiments were not con.
Quoted with more care, having an eye more
to the general results than to the exact
difference in the yield in a given quantity
of land. | have always been particular IN
recommending any thing new in agriculture
unless was perfectly satisfied that it was
both practical and profitable to the cause OF
agriculture, and have availed myself OF
the use of the columns of the Mercury, that
others may be induced to give their expe-
rience in the use of an article which it is be-
lieved by many will produce great revolu-
ton in the production Of cotton in this
State. And would here remark, that no
one experiment however we'll conducted)
should be received as conclusive evidence oil
its practical utility, until it has been tried
two or three years; and too much care can
not be taken in noticing the different seasons
and the various soils in which experiments
are tried. purchased ten barrels of Gyp.
sum last spring in Charleston, and conclud.
ed to try it on an old sandy field which had
been in cultivation upwards of sixty years,
and was completely worn out; and some
five or six years since commenced trying
to improve it, and had succeeded in destroy.
ing the running briers and may-pops which
had taken possession. [ had planted it in
cotton three years in succession it was ma
nured in the drill each year, and suppose
it produced about 600 lbs. to the acre. The
past year planted it again in cotton and
opened the old bed with long Scooter,
and bedded out with turning plough
About the tenth Of April we commenced
planting, and the day previous | measured
three bushels of cotton seed, one bushel of
Gypsum and two bushels of ashes, and wet
them and rubbed them neatly, and in the
manner described mixed and rubbed until
had enough to plant the field, (which con-
tanned fifty acres.) The Cotton came up
besutiful and grew off finely, having
green, luxuriant appearance, and continued
to look well until the excessive rains in June,
at which time it died out badly, and almost
despaired of making half crop; hut it re.
covered IN July, and began to grow and
spread beautifully, and up to the last OF
August it still looked well, though it was
rather too late; at that time the excessive
wet weather set in, giving it another back.
set, but it soon recovered and confined to
grow and mature, until it was killed by
frost. noticed one particular, that it did
not shed the bolles and squares as my pre-.
vous crops had done, and | remarked that
cotton in the same field, previously, had
invariably quit growing by the first of Sep
tember, but the present year, it continued to
grow until frost also tried an experiment
with one bushel Of Gypsum, one bushel of
Guano, and two bushels of Ashes, which |
rubbed with three bushels ofcotton seed, but
could see no perceptible difference from
that planted with Ashes and Gypsum.
There are three things to be noticed in this
experiment, first, the land had been manured
previously in the drill; second, there was
two bushels of Ashes mixed with the Gyp.
sum, and third, that the past year was unu
sually wet. All this should be taken into
consideration, and allowance made in the
calculation. requested my overseer to
notice particularly the amount OF cotton
picked, and he estimated it at 500 lbs. to the
acre. Here is 200 lbs. more than had ever
been made before, to the acre, and leave
You to draw your own inference.
planted ten acres in stubble land, pre-
pared in the manner described above; the
result was entirely satisfactory, as we gath
cred ten bales of cotton. In conclusion,
am inclined to think that land containing a
quantity oil vegetable matter will give better
results than that which has but little, and
am perfectly satisfied in my own mind, that
if our Railroads would adopt a liberal rate
of freights for fertilizers, we could increase
the production of our soil at least one.
fourth am yours, respectfully,
THOMAS B. BYRD.