The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-11-01
THE VsE OF PLAsrEu IN MICHIGAN.

The New York TyibHHe has letter frcm
G Smith. Of lonis county. Mich giving
detail Of the effect of plaster uron some cf
the sandy land in that section. which can.
not be prof,ably cultivated except BY tho use
Of plaster aud clover
But" he says. If it is kept to clover
suitable portion Of the time, and plaster 10
the amount Of even 80 lbs per acre. il will
increase in productvcness The entcipri-
sing, intelligent farmer asks for no better
land than the openings aud plains Of Mich
gan but the lazy. old fashioned farmer
soon s,arves out This fact is being excm-
phiied all around US continually. Plaster
is more valuable. a, the same price per
pound, TO the owners Of sandy land. than
the hest concentrated manures, for there is
no one of them the effects Of which would
be 50 great at the rate Of 100 lbs. per acre
An intelligent farmer Of this county has
said that farmers here canna afford to draw
barn-yard manure if furnished thcm with
out cost This may be put down as an cx-
trcme opinion. but have sometimes
thought it nearly correct His idea was.
tha, plaster would increase the productive
uess Of the soil to as great extent as the una
nure. at much less expense. have never
seen as great an increase Of hay from u p
dressing Of manure. as from drc.si. 4 of
100 lbs. OF plaster per acre.
There are various opinions IS TO tie
best time for sowiDg plaster, but for my
part, think it can hardl, bc sown al a
wrong time though | have seen the best
results when it has been sowb ia Nay.
Most farmers are ANXIOUS 10 Ct tr, Il,
ground plaster. or at least that which bas
never been wet 4; but for Uy Use tie Older Il
! is the better. aud | ", u.d Ike 10 have il
saturated with the dra,nir,s uf a taru Iari.
Among several barrels vi plaster winch
once purchased at Iouia, vas onc that had
no, only been wet. bu; had lain ia the Wa
ter thought Oh Gr,t opening il that It
would not pay for the trouble sowing but OH
further thought concluded 10 try it. l
s,wed it on wheat. in May the gIoani Las-
ing beeu previously seeded 10 clover l, did
not seem to increase the growth t the wheat
much though it gave 1t daik color aud
caused it TO ripen later. But when tho
whea, was removed, the IF ct on the clover
became apparent. for it grew at 4 wonderful
rate. soon covering up the stubble, blossom
ing out. aud finally falling down carrying
the stubbic with It.
There are .till good many farmers II
be found who say they cannot afford to SOW
piaster; but such, if their land he sandy
generally discover, after few years trial
that they cannot afford to keep their farms
! Tbcre is also occasionally on- who says thai
plaster acts as an unnatural stimulant, and
i. will spoil land Such uopsen,e is bardly
worth notice. except to repudiate It. Ma
ture or Providence could not have stored
. up for the inhabitants of this cvuutry q
greater blessing than they will find. aud are
, finding. in the gypsum beds Of Grand Rap
, ids aud vicinity
. Il have spoken of the effects Of plaster
E justus they appear to those unacquaintet
= with its chemical nature. To such. tha
/; 100 lbs of stone-dust. scattered over al
D acre of ground. should double and treble il,
D produc,ivene~s. is truly mysterious; yet j
I is certainly true"