The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-03-21
The Action of Gypsum.

Oeuues aDly written artlcle ON tne aC-
ton Of gypsum, on page 81, current
volume. To account for Its action, and
non-action, as a fertilizer, there have
been great many different theories
advanced, by scientific writers and
practical farmers. All good, arabic
soils contain some elementary SUBJ
stances absolutely necessary for the
growth of plants. These same inor-
ganic ingredients are found in the ash
of plants, and also in the ash of burned
animal structures, but in very different
relative proportions. Without phos-
phoric acid and lime in the soil (all the
ashes being there), not kernel of corn
or grain of wheat can be grown; and
80 OF potash, soda, iron, sulphur and
some other constituents Of plants and
animals.
To my mind, there is no mystery
connected with the action or non-action
of gypsum on different soils. Some
soils have already sufficient sulphuric
acid and lime; therefore, gypsum
would not benefit them. Other soils
have enough of all the remaining in
gradients, but lack sulphuric acid.
Gypsum supplies the deficiency.
In 1857, Mr.. Joseph Harris, Of
Rochester. N. Y, then publisher OF
the Genesee Farmer, carried through an
experiment in growing Indian corn.
One plat, no manure. yielded sixty
bushels of ears, sound corn, per acre,
and seven bushels ssft ears. No. 2 was
MANFRED with one hundred pounds
(per acre) OF plaster (gypsum), and
yielded seventy bushels of sound, and
eight of soft corn being an increase OF
eleven bushels of ears over plat No. l.
Several other manures were also tried,
but Mr.. Harris said that the manure
which produced the most profitable re-
suits was the one hundred pounds of
plaster, the phosphates giving no great
or yield, and therefore infering THAT
the good effect of the superphosphate
of lime was due to the plaster it con-
tained." The presumption (facD is,
that the soil upon which he expert
mented contained an ample supply of
available phosphates, and that adding
more to the soil had no effect; while,
on the other hand, there was defici-
ency of the sulphates, and the applica-
ton of gypsum to the soil supplies
the deficiency of sulphates, and thus
increases the yield of corn.
Many years ago Prof Liebig advanc-
I'd the doctrine that the favorable ac-
ton of gypsum as a fertilizer was due
wholly to its quality of combining with
and fixing the ammonia that fell in the
rains and SHOWS. But this theory did
not, after investigation, find many
advocates. Afterwards he attributed
its favorable action to the decomposing
agency of the acid upon the silcates of
the potash, lime, etc., in the soil. Some
thirty years ago Boussingault announc-
ed the theory that the application of
gypsum to the land was simply an in.
direct application of lime to the soil.
In one hundred pounds of gypsum
there are 323 lbs. of lime. Who is SO
crsdulous as to believe that 323 lbs. of
lime spread over an acre Of land will
add in one crop of clover ton extra, as
shown at the Michigan college? Prof.
Jas. +. w. johnson, in his Lectures on
Agricultural Chemistry, (vol. l. p ~
says Mr.. Smith top-dressed one por-
ton of field of red clover with pow
dered gypsum at the rate of five BUSH
els per acre. and compared the produce
with another portion of the same field,
to which no plaster had been applied.
The first crop was cut for hay, and the
second for seed. The following were
the comparative results per acre: Hay
crop, plastered. so cwt.; upholstered, 20
cwt. Seed, plastsred, los lbs; unplas-
tered, 20 lbs: the straw of the seed on
plastered plat was over ,, 400 lbs; the
upholstered, $50 lbs.
wrote communication for the New
England Farmer in opposition to Bous-
singault's theory, citing well known
facts that disproved that theory. A
week or two after its publication 1 re-
ceived letter from Gov. Hammond, of
Carolina, in which he says that "tho
sulphate of lime must exist in all soils
to some extent, as it is found in almost
all plants. Sulphuric acid itself is
sometimes used as a manure, but ex-
perience has fully established the fact,
that it il Of little value except on cal
careous soils; and what is more re-
markable, that sulphate Of lime will
net with far greater effect on lined
lands. tried some of it myself the
past year on marled land. / rolled the
wet cotton seeds in ii previously to
planting them, and thus applied it at
the rate of only one peck of plaster per
acre. am satisfied the product on the
few acres to which it was applied, was
one-third greater than on similar adj
joining land, married also, but not plas-
tered"
have repeatedly seen as favorable
results from the use Of plaster on corn,
potatoes, beans an II grass, as I ever
have from the use of superphosphates
and guanos on the same kind OF crops !;
but on ether soils plaster is entirely
useless as fertilizer, and, according to
Mr.. Harris's experiments, so is super
phosphate. In the annual report Of
the Department of Agriculture, 1874,
there is an essay on the condition of
agriculture in the cotton states, in
which il Is stated that "three or four
years since the farmers of Georgia ex-
pended, in the purchase of commercial
fertilizers, according to the testimony
Of the State Inspector of Fertilizers,
SIC, 900, 900 In one year. These were not