494 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



covering of pine leaves anJ other litter raked 

 up in the woods. 



I2th. — Impoverishing considerably — having been 

 long under the three-shilt and close grazing 

 system, with very careless and bad tillage. 



13/A. — Same exhausting course to 1830. Since, the 

 three-shift system without grazing, and deep 

 ploughing first introduced. 



14th. — The increase of previous products, on the 

 first crop alier marling, has always been consi- 

 derable, and sometimes has been as much as 

 100 per cent. The subsequent increase not so 

 perceptible ; but the continued and sradual me- 

 lioration of the soil very evident. The greatest 

 improvement generally made on stiti red clay 

 soil. 



15lh. — Increased ; but, as stated above, gradually, 

 and the improvement never very marked at any 

 one time after the first crop. 



I6th. — No such subsequent decrease expected. 



Jlth. — No case of sterility produced. 



ISth. — It is Tiy opinion that all vegetable or putres- 

 cent manures are much more efficacious alier 

 marling than belbre, on poor natural soils. Have 

 used no other mineral manure al"ier marling ex- 

 cept the gypseous and green sand earth Irom 

 the bank on this iiirm, which has been tried at 

 the rate of 30 bushels to the acre, and with 

 marked beneficial results, particularly on the 

 growth of clover and other grasses.* 



[19i/t to 21s/ queries were not among those first 

 submitted, and tlierelbre are not answered.] 



22(/. — I suppose that the net product caused by 

 marling, under a proper corresponding system 

 of cultivation, is 50 per cent, per annum. 



23(1. — Not having read the work for several years, 

 and not having it now to reli^r to, I can only say 

 that according to my recollection there was noth- 

 ing known which served to contradict any of its 

 important positions, or statements of practical 

 efi'ects. 



VI. Jlitswers of Elgin Russell. 



/7nswer to query \st. — In 1827. 



2(i.— JVline. 



Sd.— Only 30 acres of poor high-land, and 20 acres 



of low-ground. 

 Ath. — 142 acres ; poorer than the pf-esent average. 

 5/A.— 1827 to 1820, about 20 acres, and since 130, 



making 150 in all. 

 Qlh. — Varying Horn 25 to 50 percent, in diflerent 



diggings.! 



* This body of " green sand," or of " gypseous 

 earth," as I termed it, in my ignorance of geology, is 

 on the river, just below the mouth of Bailey's Creek. 

 It is the richest known of all this district, and was the 

 first discovered by myself, in 1817. See my account 

 of the "Gypseous Earth of James River," at page 

 207, vol. i. of Farmers' Register. 



t Part of Mr. Russell's marl is that of the "broken 

 banks," a valley of which extends into his land. This, 

 as elsewhere, lies over a greenish earth, containing 

 green-sand, and not any carhonate of lime ; and this 

 under-stratum he dug up and used indiseiiminately 

 with the marl above, at fust, as stated ia the next an- 

 swer. — Ed. 



lih and Sth. — None known. But the green earth 

 which lies under the shells, in some of the pits, 

 was at first used to considerable extent, with the 

 marl above. I perceived no ddference of effect, 

 either beneficial or injurious, or less effect, irora 

 this mixture. This green earth was not any 

 where applied entirely separate, so as to show 

 whether it had any effect, or differed in effect 

 from the marl. 

 Qth. — 200 bushels to the acre, except on new- 

 ground just cleared, where 400 bushels were 

 given. 



lOi/t and Wth. — None other than stated in the 

 preceding answer. 



llth and \Wi. — Hard worked and cruelly used, 

 both before and alier marling, owing to my not 

 having enough land open for cultivation to per- 

 mit any to have rest. The relief afforded by 

 the three-shift rotation (one year of rest in 

 three,) begun to be afforded within the few last 

 years only. 



14//i. — The usual increase of next crop after marl- 

 ing, about 100 per cent, on old land producing 

 previously liom 5 to 10 bushels of corn to the 

 acie. On new and richer land only 30 to 35 

 per cent. A gradual increase on both since. 



Ibth. — Increased, but less visibly than in the 

 earliest efi'ects. 



\Q)th. — No such diminution expected under the 

 circumstances stated in the query. 



nth. — No damage, or reduction of product, ex- 

 cept on the most miserable poor spots of ground, 

 where the marl was put too heavily. 



\Sth. — Believe that both vegetable and other pu- 

 trescent manures are certainly more effica- 

 cious after marling; but whether more dura- 

 ble, I am unable to answer. 



19//i.~10 bushels. 



1Qth.—20 bushels. 



2I.sf. — 150 bushels before marling and 350 no»v. 



22d. — Suppose the increased gross product in 

 grain, or marketable crops, to be worth ^3 the 

 the acre on all the marled land— or ^426 annu- 

 ally on the farm. 



23<Z. — No contradiction to the opinions and state- 

 ments relerred to. 



VII. Answers of Theodorick Bland, of Jordan'' s 

 Point.* 



Answer to query \sl. — In 1830. 



2d. — JVly own. 



3(/.— 350 acres. 



4iA.— About 12 acres. 



5th. — 200 acres marled to this time. 



6ih.— 50 to 60 per cent. 



7th and Sth. — None known of either. When I 

 first began to marl, I supposed (Irom incorrect 

 information) that the greenish earth, which lies 

 beneath, was marl, and the richest kind; and 

 until better informed, 1 applied this eartli in pre- 

 ference, and alone and very heavily. 15 acres 

 were thus covered, at about 700 bushels to the 



* These answers are confined to Dr. Bland's land, 

 held in 1330 and since, and does not include the larger 

 quantity of the original Jordan's Point land, which he 

 held through this time as a tenant, and of which he 

 has very lately become, by purchase, the holder in fee 

 simple. — Ed. F. R. 



