Excerpt from Sulphur as a Factor in Soil Fertility: A Dissertation Although sulphur was recognized as an essential element in plant nutrition as early as the middle Of the nineteenth century, the use of sulphur and sulphur compounds as fertilizers has never become general. Analyses for sulphur in soils have generally been low, yet when compared with the sulphur in the ash of plants, the amount present in the soil seemed sufficient for all the needs Of the crop. The use of gypsum as a fertilizer, however, was quite exten sive for a time, following the discovery Of its beneficial effect on plants. Browne (13) credits this discovery to a clergyman in Germany in 1768. From there it spread to France and Great Britain, and was brought to the United States by benjamin franklin, who used it on his farm near Philadelphia. For a time gypsum was extensively used as a fertilizer both in Europe and the United States and gave remarkable results. Griffiths (25) reports experiments by schubert in Germany, and crocker (is) refers to the experiments Of Judge peters, john binns, and edmund ruffin in the United States. All these men Obtained remarkable results with gypsum on legumes.

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