160 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 3 



so much as a few miles in extent, being marled; 

 nor even of all the surface of any one farm; and 

 that, therelbre, we have no means of judging by 

 experience of the full measure of benetit to be de- 

 rived Irom such a general change ol' the character 

 of the soil. The most that has yet been done, any 

 where, is the marling of all the cultivated and ara- 

 ble land— leaving unmarled, and as much as ever 

 the abundant sources of vegetable decomposition 

 and of disease, all the woodland, hill-sides, and 

 the wet bottoms. Now, as the remaining wood- 

 lands are generally among the poorest of our soils, 

 that is, (according to the theory maintained,) soils 

 incapable of combining with and retaining the pro- 

 ducts of decomposition — and as they are covered 

 annually with leaves, which in time all rot and 

 finally pass off into the air — it follows, that the 

 lands so left are among the most fruitful of ma- 

 laria. It is ahvious that the remedy is but par- 

 tially and inefficiently in operation, while from one 

 third to one half of every farm is left unmarled, 

 and free as ever to evolve the cause of disease. 

 So sure does this opinion seem to me, that I have 

 commenced acting on it, by marling the wood- 

 land that is not designed to be cleared for cultiva- 

 tion — and shall continue, as more necessary labors 

 permit, to do so, until not an aero of the farm is left 

 without being changed in character by calcareous 

 earth. 



It is proper to add, as an opinion founded on but 

 limited experience, as yet, that though the cases of 

 sickness on Coggins^ Point Farm, have certainly 

 diminished very greatly — there not being one case 

 recently, where there formerly were ten, or per- 

 haps twenty — still that the diseases seemed to 

 have changed in kind, and to have increased in 

 severity and danger. Formerly, there was almost 

 no sickness except from ague and fever (or very 

 rarely, a case of mild bilious fi^ver,) which, though 

 few persons escaped from through the autumn, and 

 some suffered several relapses, the attacks, were 

 never dangerous, and required little skill, and but 

 a few days, to cure, for that time. Bad as was this 

 state of things, it seemed that the ague and fever 

 acted as a salety-valve to the sj'stem, and while it 

 seldom permitted the enjoyment of long continued 

 robust health, it prevented the occurrence of more 

 dangerous or fatal diseases, such as are the most 

 common among the fewer diseases of what are 

 deemed healthy regions. The diseases of my ne- 

 groes for the last six or eight years have been of a 

 more inflammatory kind, and are not confined to 

 autumn: and there have been certainly more se- 

 vere and fatal diseases, and more that have had 

 medical aid, than formerly, when there was so 

 much more of sickness of one kind, and at one 

 season. In short, it seems that the diseases are 

 no longer (or but in few cases,) those of the low 

 country and of a bilious climate, but are like those 

 of the upper country, which, though occurrinij but 

 rarely, are generally of a serious nature. The fiacts 

 on which this particular opinion has been formed, 

 are yet too lew, and of too short continuance, to 

 attach to them much importance; and even if they 

 were less doubtful, I have not the medical know- 

 ledge to trace these new effects back to their cau- 

 ses. Still, it is deemed due to candor, and to the 

 desire for a fair and full investigationof the subject, 

 even if making against my own views, that these 

 opinions should be stated. There is no other sub- 

 jfect, than this, taken in general, which more de- 



serves and requires investigation — and in the pre- 

 sent inchoate state of the discussion, the expression 

 of even erroneous opinions will not be useless, if it 

 should serve to elicit more fiill or correct ones from 

 other sources. 



Since November, 1835, I have ceased to reside 

 on Sholibanks farm, and therefore have no later 

 personal experience of the continued efi'ect of marl- 

 ing m preventing the formation of the seeds of au- 

 tumnal diseases. But it is undeisiood from a 

 physician, Dr. John S. Enes, who has since 

 rented and resided on the hirm, tliat it has mail - 

 tained its reputation for a remarkable exemption 

 from those diseases. The last summer and autumn 

 (1836,) were unusually sickly throughout most of 

 the surrounding neighborhood, and the residents of 

 Shellbanks did not escape the visitation; but near- 

 ly all of their cases were entirely diflercnt from the 

 diseases which were general in autumn, befbre 

 marling the land. Nor can entire and continued 

 exemption, even from the diseases caused by 

 malaria, be reasonably counted on any where, 

 (according to the views submitted above,) while 

 the greater part of the surrounding and adja- 

 cent lands remain unmarled, and in their ori- 

 ginal slate of unfruitfulness in every thing, save 

 the poisonous products of vegetable decomposition. 



VVhen my opinions of the beneficial operation 

 of calcareous earth, in soil, or mixed with putres- 

 cent matter, in destroying or disarming the sour- 

 ces of disease, were first published, and uniil after 

 the last publication of the same in \he Essay on 

 Calcareous Manures, I had no knowledge that sim- 

 ilar grounds had been taken by any other person. 

 But since, in the recent publications of a French 

 writer. M. Puvis, I have found the same general 

 opinion expressed, and many important facts given 

 in confirmation. These views are presented at 

 length in the several articles translated from Puvis 

 in the 3rd and 4(h volumes of the Farmers' Regis- 

 ter — to which it is enough here to relf>r, and to re- 

 quest the recurrence or attention of those readers 

 who desire more extended statements and proofs of 

 this highly important efi'ect of calcareous earth as 

 an inu;redient of soil. * 



No. II. 



The police nf filth in towns, and its bearing on 

 comfort, decencij and health. 



The delightful season of opening summer has 

 arrived, and the face of the earth, as formed by 

 nature, and not deformed by man, is seen in its 

 fairest aspect and brishtest colors. Every thing 

 shows li!e, in youth and beauty, and nothing yet 

 exhibits indications of decay. Every feature of 

 the natural landscape, in every region, however 

 varied, is beautiful to the eye. The most barren and 

 worthless of our lands, though the most wretch- 

 ed in appearance after cultivation, befbre being 

 touched by man, are covered with magnificent 

 Ibrests. Nature has not made a scene that is dis- 

 pleasing to the eye; and even this granite region, 

 barren and unsightly as much of it now is, was 

 once one wide scene of universal beauty. It is 

 man that wastes the beauties and blessings of na- 



* See Puvis "On. Lime as manure," translated, in 

 Farmers' Ref^ister, vol. iii, pp. 359 to 366, and 385 to 

 392— and "0« Marl," pp. 690 to 696, and 705 to 700, 

 vol. iii — and pp. to , vol. iv. 



