Remarks on Mr, Johnson'' s Paper. 79 



to his j2;eneral remarks. With fresh tide-water marshes, I 

 have been familiar througli my life, though 1 have had no ex- 

 tensive concern in them. A piece of marsh on the Schuylkill 

 has been in my family, 1 believe, sixty years, and 1 now own 

 it. 1 remember well its being first cleared and cultivated ; 

 I have known as fine Indian corn, rye, barley, and wheat, 

 raised on this marsh as any upland ever produced. But the 

 latter grain is not eligible, because subject to blights and 

 mildews, and too luxuriant straw, in such grounds. The 

 soil consists of alluvial deposits ; tenacious in its texture, and 

 sound to a great depth. The blue mud, v\hich is a mixture 

 of aluminous earth, a small proportion of sand, some ferru- 

 ginous particles, and decayed vegetable matter, for the most 

 part composes it. It has been repeatedly ploughed to great 

 advantage, and cropped with grain; but it has generally 

 been kept in grass. It has been often overflowed without 

 durable injury. Similar culture and treatment have been 

 used in a great body of the like marshes, composing an ex- 

 tensive district, whereof this is a part. The great desidera- 

 tum is, to keep such marshes completely drained ; atid a land 

 drain, (i. e. one next the fast land,) should never be omitted. 

 In the hands of careless tenants, or ind(dent owners, tussocks 

 abound ; these should never be suffered to remain. A strong 

 paring or tussock plough will save manual labour (which is 

 very expensive) in their removal. I have known the tus- 

 socks, generally prevailing over the neglect^^d surface, thus 

 removed, and, when dry, burnt ; no farther operation of the 

 plough was then necessary. Crops of grain were hat rowed 

 in, and were very productive. These marshes, in dry sea= 

 sons, have a tendency to bind, and crack in midtitudinous 

 fissures. Irrigation, by overflowing them, is then highly be- 

 neficial. Timothy is the best adapted to these marshes, when 

 first taken up tor culture; but the green grass, fpoa viridisj 

 is the general cover, and a most valuable grass. Heiup grows 

 luxuriantly on fresh marshes. K. P. 



May, 1825.] 



