320 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



BLUK MARL. AND GREEN SAND. 



To tlie Editor of tlie Fanners' Register. 



Stafford county, Fa., 3 fay 20, 1840. 



In a communicalion from a Waryh^'iJ corr"- 

 spontlent, (Farmers' Register, Vol. vii, p. 105,) I 

 find the follovvino: gtateaient : 



" In communications heretofore made to the 

 Recrister, I have suijaesled that blue marl contains 

 properties lertilizing beyond the lime contained in 

 it. Farther observation has confirmed the opi- 

 nion," &c. On the farm of the Potomac Silk Com- 

 pany there are very 'extensive deposites of blue 

 marl, which I have been usinijon a small scale for 

 nearly four years. In some of these banks there 

 is an abundance of decomposed shells, but in 

 olhers no shells appear, but apparently are made 

 up entirely of the blue sand, or rather clay, (for 

 there is no sand in it.) Now the action of both 

 of these marls is precisely similar, as is proved 

 from the following experiments: 



In 1837 I manured beets in the drill with the 

 marl having shells, and also in adjacent rows with 

 the green sand or the marl without shells. There 

 was manifest improvement in the srowth of the 

 beets, compared with some in similar soil, not 

 marled, but the effects of both of these marls were 

 identical. Before applyin<x the marl the soil was 

 thickly set with sorrel, but that has subsequently 



disappeared as far as the marl and green sand ex- 

 tended. 



Both the shell marl and the green sand have 

 been applied to poor soils, on the surface, and the 

 land left lor eighteen months without cultivation; 

 and in every instance, even on broom straw soils, 

 a growth of white clover follows. So striking is 

 this effect that the carts may be tracked for nearly 

 i half mile by the growth of the white clover. 



I have but little experience in agricultural pur- 

 suits, but I am disposed to communicate freely t[ie 

 results of my experiments ; and I now ask the fa- 

 vor of you, or any of your correspondents, to an- 

 swer the following question : 



Does a top-dressing of lime, without cultivating 

 the land, invariably produce a growth of white 

 clover 7* 



I have applied marl 1o twelve acres, using from 

 350 to 400 bushels to the acre. 



Layton Y. Atkins. 



P. S. This is a rainy day, but some silk-wormg 

 are spinning, and those in the rear are very thrifty. 



I have morus multicaulis cuttings growing in a 

 pure bank oi' blue marl, and the leaves are of a 

 deeper green than those growing out in the fields. 



* We cannot answer this question from our own ex- 

 perience. — Ed. F. R. 



CONTENTS OF THE FARMERS REGISTER, NO. V. VOL. VIII. 



ORIGINAL, COMMUNICATIONS. 



The marl and limestone of the borders of the 

 Neuse and Trent 



Address to the Agricultural Society of Cum- 

 berland 



Sheep husbandry 



On tlie cultivation of corn. Pulling fodder. 

 More about Baden corn. Apple and pear 

 cuttings. Multicaulis. Deep ploughing - 



Of lime and other matters . - - - 



Blue marl and green sand, - - - - 

 SELECTIONS. 



Culture of the potato 



Dionsea muscipula 



Durhams vs. Devonshires - - . - 



Receipt for destroying caterpillars 



Apples for fattening geese - - - - 



Rolling, a protection from fly - - - 

 Agriculture of France . - - - - 



Bees - - - - - -_- 



Proceedings of the tobacco convention - 



Milk 



Curing hay 



Epidemic among horses . . - . 

 Modern improvements in Europe in silk-cul- 



culture 



Agricultural papers, &.c. - - . . 

 A Gloucestershire vale farm ... 



Page 

 257 



274 



276 



279 

 300 

 320 



259 

 261 

 261 

 262 

 262 

 262 

 263 

 270 

 270 

 273 

 275 

 277 



280 

 284 



285 



Anti-lime .---.-. 



A farmer's life and duties - . - - 



Mr. Jacob Sheimer's system of farming 



Swamp mud for manure .... 



Hussey's reaping niachine .... 



Usefulness of birds and toads ... 



Grape culture 



Manures .---... 



To s''ve seeds - - t . . . 



Root culture 



Disorders of the currency and the remedy 



Rye in woodland --.--. 



Rearing chickens 



Calcareous manures . - - . . 



Value of ashes 



Pigs -.-...-. 



Durham cattle — at what age best to import 

 them — will thrive on our worst pastures — 

 and may be bred from at one year old 



Experiments on manures - - - - 



Hay-making 



Speech of Daniel Webster, esq. ... 



Appendix to same 



Improvement of the soil resulting from the 

 grazing system of Kentucky 



The tinips [in South Carolina] ... 



Force of instinct ---... 



Squashes - . 



Different soils 



Page 

 292 

 292 

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303 

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 312 



314 

 318 

 319 

 319 

 319 



