300 



State. Hitherto, so small has been the dematid for stimulant manures, 

 by soils that have been for a few years only in the service of agricul- 

 ture, that few farmers have brought themselves to reflect, whether, be- 

 fore many years, the new soils they have adopted, may not be like the 

 old ones they have foi'saken. 



But, although many of our soils are even found to improve under 

 the first few years of cultivation, they must eventually wear out, under 

 a process, which gives no returns for the demands made upon them. 

 This result is already becoming perceptible upon the older farms, and 

 their cultivatoi-s are brought to the necessity of husbanding manures, t« 

 renovate their exhausted soils. Considerable quantities of gypsum 

 (plaster) are annually imported and used, with most obvious success, 

 tipon soils that have not been half a dozen years under cultivation. 



Gypsum and marl are constituted of the same basis, lime, under dif- 

 ferent states of combination : sulphate of lime, (sulphuric acid and lime,) 

 composing the former; carbonic acid and lime composing marl and the 

 other carbonates. The sulphate, possessing greater stimulant properties, 

 has a somewhat different and more speedy operation, but it is doubtful 

 -whether its effect be either so decided or so lasting as that of marl, if 

 applied in the required proportion. I have to regret the inability to 

 institute such a comparison of their several operations upon our soils, as 

 could be desired, having been unable to learn of a single instance of a 

 fair trial of marl in the State. Notwithstanding, I do not hesitate to 

 urge its use with full confidence, upon all who can be persuaded to make 

 use of so simple a means to sustain their soils. 



Besides the stimulant property, connnon both to gypsum and the 

 carbonate of lime, in giving increased activity to vegetation, the lime 

 eflPects a change in the character of the soil itself. No soil can be con- 

 sidered perfect without a large proportion. Lime enters largely into 

 the composition of many crops; such as wheat, which it is well known, 

 vegetates most vigorously where this abounds, as in many of the gravel 

 and limestone soils. While a farther advantage results from the de- 

 composition of the marl, in consequence of the separation of the ani- 

 mal matter, contained in the shelly portions of it. In short, gypsura 

 can hardly be productive of benefit where marl might not be profitably 

 applied. Add to this, what comes home to the reason of every farmer, 

 that while he must pay for imported plaster, at the average rate of $20 

 per ton, the marl may be had for digging. 



