456 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 8 



nist. I would, therefore, be inclined to consider it a 

 new and important species. Its botanical description 

 is — root fibrous, stem smooth, leaves opposite amplex- 

 icaul, lanceolate, slightly serrate, flowers racemose, 

 axillary, calix four-toothed, corolla light blue, entire 

 base ; lip four-parted, capsule two-celled. Should 

 this be (as I think there is every probability) an en- 

 tirely new species of Fcroncia, would you permit me 

 the liberty of suggesting a specific name — Veronica 

 Ruffinia ? If its presence is a sure indication of marl, 

 it is a highly important plant, and your name is al- 

 most identified with marl." 



We beg leave to decline the unmerited honor above 

 proposed, as we have no claim to the discovery — and 

 but only that of having appreciated the facts, as soon 

 as they were heard of, and now of making them pub- 

 lic. We should think the name of Wcfimorea more 

 appropriate; but our friend Westmore also waives all 

 claims to the discovery, and says, that he does not know 

 who first noticed the connexion of the plant with marl. 

 And if, contrary to the present supposition, the plant 

 should in fact have been long on the catalogues of bo- 

 tanists, it will not the less deserve to be considered, for 

 its peculiar quality now just brought to light, as a new 

 and important agricultural discovery. We prefer for 

 its name, the descriptive one of the " Marl Indicator." 



But we have further evidence of this being in truth 

 a new species, in the opinion of our friend and cor- 

 respondent, Gideon B. Smith of Baltimore, to whom 

 we sent the drawing to have it engraved, accompa- 

 nied by a statement of the peculiar value of the plant, 

 and a copy of the foregoing botanical description. 

 His answer says — 



" I cannot determine the botanical character of the 

 plant from the drawing, but it certainly appears to be 

 a Veronica. The description of the plant and the 

 drawing agree perfectly, so far as I can follow the lat- 

 ter — the characters of the corolla, calyx and capsule 

 not being distinct in the drawing [owing to their small 

 size.] The plant is new to me; it is not described by 

 Loudon, nor, so far as I can find, by Elliott, nor any 

 other botanist to whose works I have access. 



" It will be a curious and valuable discovery for the 

 agricultural interest, should it prove to be in fact an in- 

 dication of the presence of calcareous matter ; and I 

 shall certainly bear it in mind in all my botanical 

 rambles." 



We readily found this plant growing in several of 

 the rivulets flowing through different beds of fossil 

 shells, or marl, on our farm. For the fact that it is to 

 be found in none otlier than such streams, we have as 

 yet to rely on the information of others; and on the 

 certainty of its absence as well as its presence agree- 

 ing with the absence and presence of marl, obviously 

 depends the value of the " indicator." 



The plant is an evergreen; it grows only in shal- 

 low water. The stalk is seldom more than a foot 

 high; though we found some 2^ feet. It is so succu- 

 lent and tender, that it droops and withers very quiet- 

 ly after being pulled up, and left dry; but when im- 

 mediately placed with the roots in a bottle of water, 

 it continued to live, and to throw out successive flow- 

 ers for several weeks. It was in flower in May, and 

 had not ceased to flower in the beginning of Sep- 

 tember. The flowers are very small, of a pale blue, or 

 nearly of a lilac color, and appear in small clusters, 

 or strinsrs. 



We have taken much trouble and incurred some ex- 

 pense, to enable our readers to identify this plant. It 

 is hoped that many will search for it, and test its 

 alleged peculiarity of location; and if observation 

 should serve to disprove that peculiar character, it is 

 further hoped that such observation and facts will be 

 communicated for publication. To correct erroneous 

 opinions, and mistaken facts, is as useful and as neces- 

 sary to agricultural knowledge and improvement, as to 

 announce new and undoubtedly true opinions and facts. 



As no calcareous earth exists in the tide-water re- 

 gion of the southern states, except the fossil shell de- 

 posite, or marl as commonly termed, of course the 

 growth of this plant, when found any where in that re- 

 gion, will always indicate that form of calcareous earth 

 only. But if it grows among the mountains, and in 

 more northern as well as more elevated lands, it will 

 probably be found in all limestone streams. 



AGRICULTURE OF UPPER FAUQUIER. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



In fulfilment of a promise which I made you at 

 the Fauquier Springs, I proceed, at as early a mo- 

 ment as it is possible to compose my lacuhies, af- 

 ter the stir and bustle of that deservedly popular 

 watering-place, to give you some account of our 

 agricullural opera'ions in upper Fauquier, I 

 could well have wished that this task had devolv- 

 ed on abler hands, and it is only in consideration 

 of the honor done me by your request, that I now 

 make the effort. 



Before entering on the subject immediately in 

 hand, I beg leave to be indulged in a few prelimi- 

 nary observations. Farmers scarcely ever write 

 well, in consequence, perhaps, of the "difference 

 between the diameter of a pen and a plough- 

 handle." Be this, however, as it may, I consi- 

 der farming, of all subjects in the world, the most 

 difficult, in every thing which relates to it. To 

 plough, to sow, to reap, garner and to gather; to 

 sell, to buy, to use and not to abuse, are all appa- 

 rently the most simple things imaginable; but, in 

 practice, we know that each and every one of 

 these operations are attended with difficuliies 

 which no novice can appreciate, and to over- 

 come which, many men have utterly lailed, even 

 after growing gray in the service. And to render 

 to the public a graphic description in detail of even 

 a part of the mysteries of this wonderful trade, is 

 found to be no less irksome, than to lead the ope- 

 ratives in the field. 



On this subject, at least, the world ha.s certainly 

 had the advantage of a great deal of practice, 

 without treasuring up, however, the benefits de- 

 rived from much useful experience. The truth is, 

 that from the diversity of soil, climate and the 

 seasons, the operations of an agriculturist cannot 

 generally be reduced to any fixed rules, and hence 

 the knowledge of the art, is not, to any available 

 extent, transmissible. The writings of almost all 

 the agricultural associations and societies that ever 

 existed, are now laid upon the shelf as useless 

 lumber. Every man has to be the founder of his 

 own system, and even that it is often necessary to 

 change from year to year. In proportion to nura- 



