492 



FARMERS REGISTER 



grain and tobacco. The annual increased pro- 

 duct of the (arm about 83000.* 

 23a'.— Nothing to contradict; and the "rcrapiiula- 

 tion" confirmed by iny experience so Ihr us it 

 extends. 



II. jinswers by John B. Bland, of Fountains. 



Answer to query \st. — In 1826. 



2d. — My own, then and since, except a small part 

 added by later purchase. 



^d. — A bout 150 acres. 



Alh. — 250 acres added, making 400 acres in all. 

 The land added much poorer than the preseni 

 averaire quality. 



5lh. — In 1826, my first year of poeseseion, marled 

 30 acres, and by winter of 1&36-7 had finished 

 about 350 acres, which was nearly all ihe land 

 then open, and all that was easily reached, and 

 deemed profitable to marl. Since, only new 

 clearmgs marled, 26 acres, making 376 acres in 

 all marled. 



6;^. — One kind frorn 25 to 30 per cent. Another, 

 which was used more lari^^ely, and for all the 

 ridge land and new clearings, is 26 per ceni.f 



tth and 8/A.— None. 



9//i.— 300 bushels. On new-ground 400. 



10/A and 11/A.— None. 



\2th. — Exhausting, having been rented out, se- 

 verely cropped, and no regard paid to preserving 

 its value. 



\Zth. — Improving — being the three-shift rotation, 

 with clover, and without grazing or mowing 

 any clover. 



14iA. — An increase of from nearly to quite 100 

 per cent, of first crop, on most of the land. 

 Less per cent, on the poorest — say such as pro- 

 duced before but 5 bushels of corn to the acre. 

 And on these poorest parte, the after increase 

 also is less than on better land. 



\6th — Increased invariably on my land, except on 

 marl-burnt spots ; and these were not considera- 

 ble, and were easily cured by applying there 

 putrescent manure. On another liirm, then 



* It was deemed preferable to inquire as to increase of 

 g.ross products, instead of the increase of net products 

 from marling, because of the greater uncertainty of the 

 calculation as to the latter. But all the witnesses agreed 

 in this opinion, that one-fourth of the gross product of 

 grain and other marketable crops, together with all 

 the increase of offal, would fully compensate, and gen- 

 erally more than compensate, for the increased labor of 

 cultivation &.c. caused by marling. Therefore, of the 

 amount of gross products stated above, and elsewhere, 

 three-fourths at least were deemed by all the witnesses 

 to be net product ; which would be the return and pro- 

 fit for the digging and laying on the marl, which of 

 course are not counted in the increased expenses of 

 cultivation, handling, and carriage of crops.— Ed. 



t The li st kind of marl is that of the " broken river 

 banks'," of which a part stretches far into this tract. 

 The other kind was considered by Mr. Bland as very 

 superior in appearance and quality, and had been sup- 

 posed to be much richer than was found, (as stated 

 above,) from analyzing a specimen which he furnished 

 for that purpose.— Ed. 



my residence, and then and until recently held as 

 remed land, 17 years affo, 1 marled a piece of 

 old tobacco lot land, of gooil soil, and belbre 

 marlinij, as rich, (rodi (requent niiinurinir, as it 

 well could be. This land h.ts borne a ^rain crop 

 every year since, without any moie help. There 

 was but litile increase of crop seen ai first from 

 Ihe marliriir, and the land is now reduced very 

 much below its tlien and previous rale of pro- 

 duct. 



16//i. — No such diminntion in any future time, ex- 

 pected or feared. 



17//i. — Not except the marl- burning as before 

 slated. That produced only on the poorest, and 

 naturally poor land. 



18/A. — No other mineral manure tried. Putres- 

 cent manure much more durable aCier marling. 

 Not sure that it is more efficacious lor first 

 crop. 



19/A— Ten bushels. 



20<A.— Thirty bushels. 



21s<. — About 4 bushels lothe acre before marling, 

 and from 8 to 10 at this time after corn. No fal- 

 lowing lor wheat, 



22</. — §6 66 per acre on all land in grain, and 

 @1800 annually on the whole marled land of the 

 firm. 



23d. — No contradiction to the " recapitulation." 



III. Answers of Edward A. Marks, of Burley. 



Answer to query 1st. — In 1&27, except a few 

 acres marled here by myfiither in 1820, that be- 

 ing his first experiment. 



2c/.— Mine. 



'M. — 170 acres. 



Ath. — 100 acres, of which 40 was richer, and GO 

 much poorer; and the general average poorer 

 than the whole farm now. 



5ih.—Ywm 1827 to 1830, about 50 acres, and 

 since, 180 or in all about 230 acres, all of which 

 was done by 1S36. Since, other employment 

 (cutting limber lor market) has prevented my 

 continuing marling; but it is now just about to 

 be resumed, and the balance of the land will 

 soon be marled. 



Qth. — Not known — but the marl was generally 

 strong. 



7iA.— None. 



Bth. — Nothing unusual, except as to the marl from 

 one pit, which coveretl 15 acres, and which was 

 very hard, and many ol'ihe lumjis still remain on 

 the field. 



9//t. — Up to 1830, the quantity intended to be ap- 

 plied was 400 bushels, and since, 300 ; but 

 both these desired quantities were often exceed- 

 ed in the actual application. 



\Oth. — None less than 300 bushels ; but in some 

 cases, on the more sandy land, where this quan- 

 tity was applied of the jioorest marl, the efiiscts 

 were belter ihan from richer marl, or heavier 

 dressings. 



Wth, — One piece of newly cleared wood-land 

 marled 4 years ago at 800 bushels to the acre, 

 is now less improved than adjoining and similar 

 land marled with half the quantity. 



12/^. — About half the land now cultivated has 

 been gradually cleared since 1827, of its origi- 

 nal forest growth. The other half had been 

 long cleared, and under the llirre shift rotation, 



