Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1857-06-26
PARIS. ME-, FRIDAY, JUNE 96, 1857.
Plaster on Corn and Wheat.

/ Eps. RrR,L On my farm, which IL
situated about four mllcs south Of the most
southern bend Of ! AXE Erie, | have used
plaster annually for about 20 years. and
have observed one popularity in its opera
ton a, fertilizer, Of which have not seen
any account in print. That popularity is,
that /, very efficient when applied to Indian
Corn, IL the land was previously sward,
invariably so-but Of no pcrccp,ihlc effect
IL the land had been previously under pillow
until the vegetable Gbrc in the soil is entirely
decomposod.
About twenty years ago | bought two
barrels Of plaster for experiment. NV
brother. who cultivated an adjoining farm,
did Likewise. had field Of corn planted
on land that had been several years in sue.
cession under tho plow; my brother had a
corn.fcld adjoining which was planted on
sward-thc soil in both was sandy loan.
We plastcred some rows. aud omitted others,
marking them by stakes. In addition !
tried rolling the seed in plaster; sowei
some broadcast; and plas,erci some m the
hill. The result was, my brothers corn
was greatly benefited by plaster, mine not
pcrccptiby affected, except that plasterci
in the hill came up slowly. The next year
the experiments were repeated with the
same result Unable TO account for these
rcsults-yct not discouraged by them. |
concluded iha, plaster was imperative on
corn on my land. 4 relative Of mine some
mile, distant, who was also experimenting
with plaster on grayclly soil, told me in
conversation on the subject, that he had
discovered the secret Of the contradictory
results Of our trial. lie had used plaster
on plot Of ground Ono-half Of which had
becu plow,i until IT, vegetable ibrc was
gone, whilo tho dthcr half waa green swari,
rcccniy turned ovcr-with marked effect
on the svarl, but none whatever on the
other portion. Acting on this suggestion,
the fr., time planted corn on previous
swarl, applied plaster, with an astoni'h-
ing result and have continued the prac.
ticc ever since, invariably with success.
Through succession OF many years |
have RAISED wheat on summer allow, aud
have derived grrat benefit from plaster SOW
Ell lihcr,ln--s5wns clover scol in the spring,
aud.iollowing 1t Immediately with plaster
For some years | lett strips without plaster
On those strips the wheat was always in
frrior in color, in size Of straw, and in berry /,
the clover siill more inferior than the wheat,
Nv average yield Of wheat per acre, fOr a
period OF seven years, as exhibited by an
accurate account kept, was 2j bushels gor
acre, the wheat weighed, the land m,auroi.
not Cu0'.i az.
Since the visitation Of the miisr, | hay,
adopted the rotation OF corn, oats, wheat
and cloycr-puttiuE tho plaster on the corn
IN the hill, while small, and again on the
clover ia the sprlng alter the wheat Is bar.
vested. Thu. course give, me thinner
growth of wheat, and shorter straw, consr-
queu,ly it r.p,us few days earlier than Il
it grow on summer iallow aud was plaster
ell. But must now bc content, even r..
joicius, It | obtain II or 2D bushels or good
wheat PER acre, instead Of - as formerly.
L. IL.
Milan, Erie Co., Ohio, May, lsi5.
Rural New Yorker.