FARMERS' REGISTER 



487 



dcrstand Iheir force we should always consider the I increasing on former products, on a general ave- 

 general circumstances of the region where they rai^e of his farming, by leriiiizalion. "if it be ner- 

 are used. Thus, in this formerly very poor region, milted to relt>rto my own case as the most striidnc 

 persons consider and speak of hind being highly i evidence, I claim ihat there was not wantino- on 

 and profiiably improveil, by marling, wlientho ac- { my [)art, from my bei^'iiining labors in 1S13, either 



zeal to miprove, present sacrifices fur the oliject, or 

 mildness of the course of cro[)ping to my fields, 

 [n these respects, at least, norie went (arlher or did 

 more; and yet after six years of such ill directed 

 but zealous labors, the added enrichment of some 



tual improved product is not more than 2-5 busheln 

 of corn, and on some farms is not more than 15 

 bushels to the acre. To offer such etalemenis ol 

 product as evidences of great increased value must 

 seem ridiculous to the cultivators of very Itirtile 



lands, who would regard as conlemptihle even the j parts of my land was not enough to compensate 

 best of the above rates ol' product. Thus, for ex- | lor the washing and other injury to other parts. In 

 ample, in one of tiie early numbers of the 'Culti- 

 vator,' in an article on the culture of corn, by 

 Judge J3uel, it is assumed that a crop of 30 bush- 

 els of corn per acre is necessary to return the ac- 

 tual expenses of tillage, &c., and therefore that 

 any less product leaves a balance of loss to the 

 farmer. (See Farmers' Register, page 65, vol. ii.) 

 Again, in an article in a Tennessee agricultural 

 paper which has been received since this article 

 was commenced, the writer states and deplores 

 the ruinous exhaustion of the formerly rich lands, 

 which he says are so reduced as to bring no more 

 than 25 bushels of corn to the acre. Now, with 

 all that can be claimed (i)r the present improve- 

 ment by marl of the poor lands of" Prince George, 

 I must frankly admit that generally they have not 

 yet equalled either the 30 bushels, which Judge 

 Buel considered as barely enough to save the cul- 

 tivator from absolute loss, or the 25 bushels, 

 which in Tennessee is stated as a rate of great im- 

 poverishment. Still, even the small products of 

 15 to 25 bushels of corn, usually made now on 

 the marled lands, are from twice to four limes as 

 much as was derived from the same lands before 

 marling. 



fact, new clearings, or new lands otherwise 

 brought under culture, served as the only means 

 of maintaining former products. 



At that time, and until about 1S20, there was 

 scarcely a proprietor in the district, who would not 

 have been glad to sell his land at less than the 

 common estimate of value, lowas that was, and re- 

 move to the rich and fiir west. If any one were 

 an exception, lie was held to his land by some 

 other and stronger inducement than the profit h.e 

 derived from farming, or his expectations of in- 

 creasing the product. It might have been said 

 that almost every farm was in market ; though 

 not actually offered for sale, because of the impos- 

 sibility of finding purchasers at any prices. 



At the present time, every proi)rietor has marled 

 to a greater or less extent, and with more or less 

 benefit; and even those who have been the least 

 judicious in the process, and therefore have ob- 

 tained the smallest profits therefrom, are as much 

 as any others convinced of the greater benefits to 

 be obtained by belter conduct ; and they appreci- 

 ate their means for improvement, even if they 

 have not yet; praperly or profitably availed of 

 them. Not a single individual in this district has 

 But let me not be understood as meaning that | emigrated to the west alter havinu- be'^un to marl 



the usual improved products show the universa 

 or the maximum rate. Some land in this district, 

 previously very poor, (though not the most re- 

 duced,) from marling alone, will nov/ produce 35 

 bushels to the acre; and witli proper use of avail- 

 able means, and such judicious and economical 

 liirming as would tend to produce the greatest net 

 income, I can entertain no doubt that these 

 marled lands may be generally brought to a pro- 

 duct of 50 bushels of corn, or more, to the acre. 



To those who would uiider-raie the value of 

 marl because of the usual low rate of product yet 

 attained, or who would measure the improved pro- 

 ducts here by comparison with those of good 

 farming regions elsewhere, ( beg leave to address 

 a lew explanations, which will be altogether super- 

 fluous to others who well know the former and 

 present state of the land lUid the farming here. 



No person could now examine these or any 

 marled lands, without being convinced of there 

 having been produced grt-at and valuable improve- 

 ments. Still, for one to :iive due appreciation to 

 the new condition of things, he ought to know the 

 previous condition of the land and far(ning, of 

 which I shall here state the principal leatures, ge- 

 nerally and briefly 



or who possessed the means of marling. The de- 

 mand of those who would gladly purchase now 

 exceeds the supply of land for sale; and, indeed, 

 (here is no larm or piece of land which can now 

 lie brought at its present estimated value; unless 

 it is burdened by some peculiar evil or disadvan- 

 tage. 



In regard to the answers lo the queries which 

 will be hereafter submitted, it is proper to observe 

 that the individuals who were applied to were not; 

 selected because they had marled the most judi- 

 ciously and I rofitably, but because their practice 

 was either aujong the oldest or the most extensive 

 in the district of which (ijll and correct inlbrmalioti 

 could be_ obtained, in several cases of extensive 

 and profitable marling, the deaths of the improvers, 

 and their successors being unacquainted with the 

 lijririer state of things, have debarred me from ob- 

 taining evidence of lacis which would have been 

 among the mo>t valuable. Further, in the stale- 

 merits which will be presented, the oWcs^ experi- 

 ments, and practice, which would otherwise be the 

 most valuable and instructive, were generally, in- 

 deed in every case, much lessened Tii effect and 

 profit, by improper treatment. Those persons 

 who have commenced within the last few years, 



Before marling was here commenced, it was uiay and generally will do much better than all 



not only generally the case that the system of c 

 tivalion was exhausting, and the already poor and 

 reduceu .lelds becoming still more unproductive, 

 but I assert, vviihout fear of contradiction, that 

 there was not one individual then enriciiing his 

 land, taken throughout, in ihe slightest degree, or 



who preceded them ; as they now understand, 

 from the example, and the ill as well as the gord 

 management of their predecessors, what cTiusi; 

 will leail to ihe grc-atest profits, and what to iho 

 heaviest losses from marling. And though the 

 present general course of cropping and manage- 



