183 



FA RM ERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 3 



specimens for analyzing, the following were the 

 several proportions of carbonate of lime Ibund. 



White marl, li-om beneath black low-iiround 

 soil?, taken out of a ditch 2.} feet deep, on Warner 

 Hall, the estate of Colin Clarke, esq., contained 

 •58 per cent, of carbonate of lime. 



Three specimens from the diggings on the 

 highland of JohnTabb, Esq., surrounding the 

 court-house — 



No. 1, yellow marl - - - 69 percent. 

 No. 2, yellow - - - - 57 per cent. 

 No. 3, blue - - - - 36 per cent. 



Two specimens from the high-land part of tlie 

 farm of W. K. Perrin, Esq., on Ware river — 

 No. 1, at the bottom of the digging, 47 per cent. 

 No. 2, from the top, - "- 52 percent. 



When compared with marls of 70 to 80 per 

 cent., and even richer kinds, of which reports have 

 been spread abroad, it may be that the poorer ot 

 these kinds may be thought too weak (or use ; and 

 iherelbre the statement of their degree of strength 

 may even discourage the working them. There is a 

 general and very erroneous fastidiousness on this 

 subject. Many are anxious to marl if they could be 

 sure that their banks are ricli enough ; but would 

 be reluctant to commence, a'ul doubtful of the pro- 

 fit, with their marl, if its scrength were supposed 

 or proved to contain less cirbonate of lime by 30 

 or 40 cent, than some oth^r kinds. It is undenia- 

 ble that such differences are very important ; and 

 that marl of 80 per cent, is worth per bushel twice 

 as much as that of 40, and four times as much as 

 that of 20 per cent., other circumstances being 

 'equal. Nevertheless, t.iey who cannot use richer, 

 may be well content w'th making proper applica- 

 tions of the poorest qudities. The facility of ap- 

 plying a very poor marl, may make it cheaper to 

 give of it to the lana a certain amount of calca- 

 reous matter, (the onJy object of the application.) 

 than from a bed twice or thrice as rich. My own 

 marls used daring the first years of my practice, 

 and through the fir^t 400 acres covered, did not 

 average, throughout the work, more than 38 per 

 cent. ; and in addhion, and what is more import- 

 ant, the average cifficullies caused by depth of 

 the over-lying carta, the wetness of the marl, and 

 the high hills and die distances over which it was 

 generally drawn, were unusually great, and very 

 far greater than any required in Gloucester; and 

 that, nevertheless, and in spite of all the errors 

 and losses caused by want of experience, and of any 

 practical guide, these labors were moreeli'ective, and 

 have resulted in a higher degree of continued im- 

 provement, and more net profit on the investment, 

 than is known of any other prior improvements 

 elsewhere, or of any made since, by other means 

 than marling or liming. I have used, and in 

 great quantities and with results entirely satisfac- 

 tory, a body of marl which had barely 20 per cent, 

 of calcareous earth, and the other remaining Ibur- 

 fil'ths of worthless sand. These statements, and 

 the egotism, may be pardoned for the lesson 

 which they convey, to all who hesitate to use marl 

 because it is not richer than .30 or even iO per cent. 



The highest point of the ridge of hitrh-land in 

 Gloucester, is generally a loam of moderately 

 close texture. The slopes are more sandy. All 

 the high-land that came under my view, seemeii 

 to be of that defective natural constitution which 

 makes marl necessary, and which will return the 



largest profits for its application. I saw only one 

 farm where it had been applied generally, or to 

 great extent, as well as to great ad vantage. This 

 was Dr. Wm. C. Taliaferro's. But several other 

 gentlemen, though later beginners, have also done 

 much in marling on the high-lands. 



It has been said that the variations of level, 

 throughout the whole extent of low-ground, are 

 scarcely disiingusliable by the eye; and not at all, 

 except to close inspection. The view extends 

 without interruption for some twenty miles over the 

 low-ground; which, so far as the eye would indi- 

 cate, is one perfectly level and unbroken surface. 

 Though almost every- farm has more or less of 

 wood-land, the proportion i.^ small, to the quantity 

 of o()en and arable land; and without intercepting 

 much of the circle of vision, or range of view, 

 the woods add greatly to the peculiar and striking 

 beauties of the landscape. I never had exhibited 

 to my sight more beautiful scenery, than from se- 

 veral different points on the brow of the hill, 

 or long ridge of high land, which forms the land 

 boundary, and every where overlooks the low- 

 grounds. Among these positions, are the man- 

 sion house on Whitemarsh, thai of Col. Thomas 

 Smith, near Ware river, and Zion Hill, a neat 

 little church which overlooks the winding North 

 river and the numerous farms on its borders. The 

 wide extent of fertile or apparently fertile land, 

 seems perfectly level, and the surface unbroken 

 except by the waters of the rivers, which, seen in 

 various turns, and between different bodies of 

 wood, or other obstructions to the view, appear like 

 so many detached lakes of clear and placid water. 

 To a farmer's eye, the agricultural beauty still 

 more heightens that of the landscape. The fields 

 are generally divided by very neat fences, which, 

 as well as the numerous ditches, are so placed as 

 to make the dividing lines straight, and generally 

 at right-anirles; and thousands of acres of such 

 regularly-shaped fields are spread before the ob- 

 server in all the variety of naked or newly plough- 

 ed dark soil, and the difierent shades of green of 

 the fields of wheat, barley, oats, clover, and natu- 

 ral grass on the pastures. The waters and the 

 woods fill the remainder of the picture, which is 

 further hcighened in beauty by the numerous 

 mansions and other buildings, on neighboring low- 

 ground farms; and to the prospect there is no 

 limit, save that fixed by the feebleness and im- 

 perfection of the power of seeing. From the 

 elevated site of the Whitema."sh mansion, these 

 general and uniform features of the low-ground 

 scenery are exhibited to great advantage. But 

 in addition, there is also an unusually large 

 proportion of black soil, and of luxuriant cro|)s, 

 in the fore-ground of the landscape ; and the 

 waters of two of the arms of the Mobjack bay, 

 the Severn on the right and the Ware on the left, 

 are in full view, and the waters of the wider parts 

 of ih( se bays are seen spread out in the distance, 

 and over the tops of the intervening trees, and the 

 whole so separated by land and by woods, as to 

 appear like many lakes, varying from very small 

 to very large size. From the same pomt of view, 

 vessels may also be seen sailino; on the North 

 river, thoufjh the water is too fiir distant to be vi- 

 sible. When seen soon af^er sunrise, or before 

 sunset, and in the position to show the ruddy 

 glow of the sun's reflected splendor, each of these 

 seeming lakes deserves to be compared to a 



