Binns, John Alexander

Binns, John Alexander, c.1761–1813, American agriculturist, b. Loudoun co., Va. He was one of the first to experiment with gypsum as a fertilizer and to convince others of its efficacy. Partly through example and partly through his pamphlet, Treatise on Practical Farming (1903), what came to be known as the Loudoun system of soil treatment spread rapidly throughout Virginia and Maryland and ultimately into other states.