Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1857-01-23
Is Gypsum a Manure :

Tho decision of a aqu,stinn olten d'r,nt'
urDu ,hc construction 90 DO. l,ncuacf, or
uyau O., meaning attached 6, ,hr words.
Many a Ji.patr b, continued simply h,rlusc
,hr Iuraunt, lirr IN ,hc imr.r, or tic
terms. Toe above question has l.yu an
,aer.,l ia tao ways a.r,aly. br ,he r,as9a
..: s,,rn.
Tl-rr D, NJ dluI, that cyT,um D. ma
rar, in th- common u,lniu. of tlc ~urI,
th,t o.. D.. any mttsr which fr,l'l, land, %
or ry w,i,a land 3, mad, " iru,.ul or pr,.
daswe" Anon: manure, ar, PLACED narl,
s.l,s. l,.-. Gle c,n,rnt. Df hru-yarI., anil
90 tte-, m,y b, arl-l, With ClI p-apus,y,
gypsum, % plaster Of P4rs, phosphate
0. l.Hr. ,t bone earth, SC.
But often hy manure j. meant only tho-r
yesst4bl, matter. which, by decomposition,
Weld carh1uic aril, ammonia, and water,
whose ,trurut, are the uu,r,mcOt of IIanis,
iu a crya, issrce-to which may be adicl
tHr., compost. 10 which vegetable matter
form. an important ingredient Tli,mran
iu: is not found ia Webster. Dictionary
ll.u-e, % 90, rrhaps, that the term tcrt.i-
GERS. las come 90 such common U.s..
Tbs word mauur, j. derived ir1m two
French w,-L bead and % rar,, and means
ia7a..-s,l, or " t. cultivate by manual Ia.
b1r." Th.. soDs, Of the word is obsolete,
and a., verb e to manure" j. "to apply 10
land auy fsrui,r'u= matter, OF " % iriii.
it.." Il.uc, 10 D., currcct tJ manur, land
with gypsum, OF 20 say gypsum ga man1r,.
y lusstre4ult s,y-- IN he Rural Economy,
which b. high au;hari'y IN the agricultural
world, "In my ,iew gypsum, marl and
asle- are manure, a. much a. horsg-lung,
blood. g- urul." Bu; DE-, AMI other sy..
trulur writers. distinguish mluur,- into
l.t. Or-arl or ,h,,, OF organic Substances
AMI -, Nm ura' ~ ,.lt, plaster, phvspAat,
u.um.. Ac., often called ,;imghut,.
How does gypsum operate yn plau;s'-
Tuuash gypsum has long hc,u known, anil
b,,u u,rl Tor century as a MANURE, thi'
question has not lawn fully answered. IL l'
well known that syIsum - sulphate oI
lime. in which the lime AS pr crut. and
che sulrhuric acid. SIS, but as uscd, Toe
parts contain nearly q pr cent. Of water
Iti. Dissolved ouly IA small quantity by
water. or IL scgurrs near jo0 times i;'
vsishtof water l1r ISOLATION. II is the com
uun substance that makes our water hard.
Now, Dayy. ia bis Agricultural Chemis'
try maintains that the gypsum Is taken ur
by the rOots and carried into the plant, and
becomes a part or the nutriment Of the ycs.
enble. Here it may peform the part Of a
giaEla's 10 the plant. Found as it Is in
the ashes Of many plants, it i probably nee
cs.Lry lsr the hishes; perfection Of the plant
and thus operate 70 promote the more pow
crlll acsiyu OF the vegetable upon the nu-
,ritiuus ,lymruts ia the soil.
LlsbIs maintains that gypsum clndsnsC'
the ammonia of tbe atmosphere on tbs r,ots,
AMI thus the gyTsuE, is placed near and
carried hy wai,r &, The roots of the plants,
~ that toe ammonia d, r,adi.y Gkru into
,hs circulation. The gypsum also, A. hO
STAT, j. JgcompD.,d by the ammonia, or
r,rhluat, OF ammonia, in the musgbcrc,
aud carbrna,s ol lime (ehalk) iJrmcl an thc
slu. aud su!pbatc uf ammonia rctaincd en-
the ,arth. a. 10 b, not - volatile As even tie
carbonate Bat, even when thc sulphate Of
ammonia is carried into the plant, how
shall il De doc1mpos ~ IS 10 give up the
ammonia for the U.s. Of the vegetable? II
the an.Wer y. hy the potash in the plant
true, and admiisI. but then, how d rs gyP.
sum occur in the ashes, for the sulphuric
acid will Be- retained by the potash The
very fact Of the sHistsOee Of gypsum or sui
phate Vi lime "a the ashes Of plants, renders
i, manifest that the gypsum must be taken
up by the roots and carried into the plant
without any change in it. as one part Of the
food Of plants. This Is actually Days So
Luton.
Let it be noticed, also, that this Is the