Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1889-05-02
GYPSUM AND IT'S USES.

GYPSUM AND ITS USES.
An Interesting Paper by David Brown Of
Paris, Ont.
The value OF gypsum or plaster OF
paris on certain soils is well known to
many farmers. In wet seasons the bene-
fiji is Immediately apparent in Increased
yields OF red clover, roots and other
crops; but even when the results are not
very noticeable at first, as in dry seasons,
careful observation and comparison of
fields sown with the plaster, and fields not
SO sown, shows that the gypsum often
repays many hundred per cent the cost
Of buying and sowing it. Mr.. Dryden,
H. 2. F., found single dressing of
paris plaster operating distinctly for
seven years on field on his farm in
Whitby township, and similar testimony
of equally careful observers shows like
results elsewhere. Considering the inn
portance of the fertilizer and its frequent
use in Ontario, we give this week part of
the paper on gypsum, read by David
Brown of Paris, gentleman thoroughly
familiar with the subject, at the recent
Farmers Institute at Paris, Ont. Mr.
Brown said:
SIT is in accordance with the fitness of
things that the subject of gypsum, or
stlIphate of lime, should he treated upon
at meeting of the North Brant Farmers
Institute held in the town of Paris. The
name Paris is understood to have been
adopted because of the beds of paris
plaster which are to be found in this
locality, the suggestion having come
from the similarity of formation which
underlies the great city upon the banks
of the Seine-Paris, the capital of France.
Beds Of gypsum are only known to ex-
list in Ontario from the vicinity of Cay
uga running along the valley of the
Grand river to this point. The beds are
found at various depths below the surface
OF the earth. At Cayuga, Mount Healy
and Caledonia the depth is from 30 to
go feet, and at Paris one mine is almost
80 feet below the highest elevation of
ground, and in others it is considerably
less. All Of the working beds in the To-
cality of Paris are approached by drifts
which arc dug from level about seven
or eight feet below the bed OF the Grand
river. Mines in this section have been
worked for about sixty years, and the
best authorities claim that the length of
underground tunnelling would reach, if
placed in a line, distance of over nine
miles. Many of those drifts or tunnels
have been closed during the course of
years, the superintendent mass of rock
and earth above having crushed the tim
Der supports which were used to keep
the drift in proper shape. Boring for
salt and petroleum in the counties of
Lambton and Huron showed beds of
gypsum at depth of several hundreds
Of feet in that region but no practical
use could be made Of these deposits from
their inaccessible nature.
"In the early part of the present century
the settlers drove long distances from all
parts of this western country to obtain
the mineral, then mined at what was
called the Forks of the Grand river at
the point where Smiths creek enters the
river. The masses of rock gypsum were
reduced by sledge hammers as finely as
possible by such process, and the
powder thus obtained was scattered upon
their fields by these old pioneers who
were quick to recognize the great virtue
and usefulness of this fertilizer. The
virgin soil, though rich in the other con-
stitueHts OF plant food, seemed to require
the additional stimulous of this sulphatc
to promote vegetation. Gypsum, scien-
tifcally known as sulphate of lime, has
for it's constituent proportion: Lime,
1856: snlphrlric acid, 1881, and water,
2093. The colors OF gypsum are in
great variety. Dark, white, yellowish
white, grey, red, brown or black, accord
ing to its purity. The discoloration,
when caused by the liberation of water
through soil above, very frequently par
takes Of the properties of the soil, and
when pure white it is the more highly
crystalized. Its solubility depends very
largely upon the state of equalization.
Sixsided and three-sided prisims, ETC.,
and also the fberoue variety known to
miners under the name of comb gyp-
sum, is wholly useless for the purpose
Of stucco making and land plaster, al
though priced by the geologist or scien-
tist for the peculiarities of the formation.
White gypsum ground and boiled until
the water of crystilization is evaporated
is The stucco or plaster Of paris used by
the artist and plasterer for decorating
and finishing the interior walls OF build
ings and nothing in the arts has yet been
discovered to supersede its use for these
purposes. In another form, ground to
an impalpable powder heated with chem
icals, and colored to any shade which
fancy may demand, it assumes the
forms of alabastine, and makes the best,
most beautiful and perFpanent wall finish
.now Ii use IN Canada.
r. Is however chiefly of The NE of gyp-
sum, ia The form Of land plaster. N Is q