OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 267 
adapted to burning. On the Santee this stone is as hard as the blue limestone, and would furnish 
lime with equal facility, besides possessing the vast advantage of a location on the banks of the 
river. 
Some of the rich marls of the State would make excellent lime, but for one disadvantage con- 
nected with the burning. At a certain stage of the process they crumble, and thus choke the kiln, 
and this sometimes happens even when the marl is pretty coherent. 
Before proposing a method of burning marl, that will remove this difficulty, it may not be out of 
place to say a word or two on the subject of raising marl from excavations. 
Many of the beds of marl worked in are below the surface, and water becomes troublesome. 
The difficulty of using the common pump, in such cases, arises from the cutting of the piston by 
the gravel and fragments of shells brought up with the water. 'T'o obviate this, a very simple 
pump is used, which is entirely free from this defect, and the numerous instances of vexation ari- 
sing from the use of the common pump, induce me to introduce a plan of it here. 
Fig. P. represents all the parts of this simple machine. It is 
composed of a square box, made water-tight, and three or four 
inches square, according to the force to be applied, and the water to 
be removed, and of a length depending on the depth of the pit. As 
it works well when inclined, of course it may be much longer, 
without inconvenience. Indeed it is an advantage, as there is no 
lever asin the common pump. a is the valve, placed as represented 
here; 5 is a piece of sole-leather, cut to form the bucket; when the 
sides are closed, by sewing, it forms a square bag, which is atlach- 
ed to the piston-rod, as represented at ¢. 'The sides are secured by 
straps, nailed to the rod. d shows the pump completed. 
Fig. P. 
For raising the marl, when the pit is not deeper than eight feet, 
it is cheaper to throw it with a shovel, but where it very much 
exceeds this, unless a scaffold be erected and the marl thrown out 
at a second pitch, other means become necessary. The method of 
carrying it in baskets is an unnecessary waste of labor, and should 
never be practiced, 
One of the best and simplest machines for this purpose is one 
which was used at Fort Monroe, for raising sand from the ditch to 
the top of the works. This machine has received Mr. Ruffin’s 
sanction, and I have copied it from the last edition of the “ Essay on 
Calcareous Manures.” Ihave seen it in operation, and am satisfied 
of its efficiency and adaptation to the object for which it was design- 
ed. The force employed is that arising from the weight of two 
men, applied to a wheel; and it is well known to be more effective 
| 
if 
than the force of the men applied to a windlass. 
