496 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



3d.— About 200 acres. 



4th. — Nothing added. 



5i/f.— Marled about 20 acres a year. At this time, 

 120 to 130 covered. 



6th. — Not known. 



7//t.— None. 



8th.— In a part of the marl, many hard masses, 

 which however were mostly le!t at the pits. 



9i/i._From 250 to 300 bushels of marl. 



lOlh and nth. — No such trials. 



}2th. — Impoverishing; the three-shilt rotation. 



13th. — Improving. 



14//i.— On first crop, about 50 per cent — and since 

 about as much more. 



15th. — Increased in every case old enough to judge 

 oC 



16/A.— Think it never will. 



17th. — A little of the ground marl-burnt by too 

 much being given. 



ISth. — Yes, as to vegetable and putrescent ma- 

 nures. 



lOiA.— About 10 bushels. 



20<^.— About 20 bushels. 



21st. — Before marling the annual crops of wheat 

 were about 300 bushels. Since, ihey are about 

 doubled. 



22d. — About .$3.50 per acre, to the land under 

 grain annually ; and $466 annually on the 

 whole farm. 



23d. — No contradiction, so far as my short expe- 

 rience extends. 



XI. Answers by Edmund Ruffin, in regard to 

 Coggins^ Point farm. 



Answer to query 1st. — On Coggins' Point farm, 

 on James river, in January, 1818. 



2d. — My own property, and under my personal 

 direction from 1813 to 1832 ; afterwards under 

 my overseers, until 1839, and since in possession 

 and charge of my son, Edmund Ruffin, Jr. 



3d. — In 1818, about 540 acres, of which 68 had 

 been cleared since 1813. 



Ath. — About 197 acres added, principally by new 

 clearings, making 737 of tilled land now. Nearly 

 every new acre added since 1813 was poorer 

 than the present general average, and without 

 exception as to the clearings since 1817. The 

 average quality of all the new land was poorer 

 than the present general average of the whole 

 (arm, by nearly one half. 



5th. — In 1818 marled 15 acres. 



1819 62 



1820 25 



1821 80 



1822 93 



1823 100 



1824 80 when nearly all the then 

 open land which was supposed to need marl had 

 been covered. By 1830, the marled surface had 

 been increased to 670 acres of cultivated land, 

 and since, to 51 acres more, of pasture and 

 wood-land not cleared. 



Qlh. — Most of the marl used contained from 37 to 

 40 per cent, of shells, or carbonate of lime. 

 Another kind averaged about 45 per cent. An- 

 other, (the marl of the broken river banks,) 

 used perhaps for 100 acres, had from 20 to 25 

 per cent., the remainder of its contents being 

 coarse sand. The bed of peculiar appearance, 



and greatest strength, under the north end of 

 the peninsula, contains 61 per cent. This, being 

 distant, was used lor about 60 acres only. 



Ith. — None, except the last-named in last answer. 

 This contains also a very small proportion of 

 gypsum, some " green-sand," and a very small 

 proportion of some soluble saline matter. 



Sth. — Only the usual degree of hardness of the 

 shells, and the proportion of earth not calcare- 

 ous being, as usual, principally of silicious sand. 



^th. — For first three years, generally 500 to 600 

 bushels. Afierwards 300 to 400. 



IQith. — As little as 96 bushels have been used. 

 The eaily effects much less than of larger 

 quantities This and other light dressings being 

 deemed quite too pn)all, were added lo, in a lew 

 years, so as to be made equal to what was then 

 supposed a proper and sutfinent rate. 



11th. — As much as 1200 bushels were tried, and 

 without injury, or perceptible greater early be- 

 nefit than 600 produced on adjacent ground. 

 This land then newly cleared, and since also 

 well manured (i-om the barn-yard. The lighter 

 marlings, say Irom 3 to 400 bushels, as produc- 

 tive on the second round of crofta, if not on the 

 first, and more profitable than any heavier — ex- 

 cept where much vegetable matter was also 

 given to the ground, then or alierwards ; in 

 which case, more marl was required, and in 

 proportion ; and was used profitably, if given 

 heavily at first. 



12th. — The lour-shift rotation (Isf, corn, 2d, wheat, 

 where not too poor to bring it, and 3d and 4ih, 

 the natural grass and weeds, not grazed,) had 

 been pursued since 1814; and this very lenient 

 rotation was barely enough improving to com- 

 pensate for the injury caused by washing, the 

 land being generally hilly. 



IWi. — The same rotation continued after marling, 

 and then it became decidedly improving. Some 

 years afterwards, clover sown on all wheat. 

 For the last 10 years, the course of cropping 

 has been more severe (by taking an additional 

 wheat crop on the best land under clover, or in 

 the second year of rest,) and also partial graz- 

 ing permitted. Still, the system of cultivation 

 is improving to the land, though less so than be- 

 fore, when milder. 



14th. — On newly cleared poor and acid land, but 

 full of rotten vegetable matter, and in its best 

 state lor producing, the increase Irom marling 

 on first crop about 50 per cent or more. On old 

 and previously much exhausted land, the first in- 

 crease from 80 to 120 — and in some cases more 

 than 150 per cent. On the same lands, now, 10 

 to 20 years alter marling, the increase upon the 

 original product is from 200 to 400 per cent, and 

 generally fully double the earliest increased 

 crop, next after the marling. On poor siiff' soil, 

 the increase and profit of marling less than on 

 poor light soils. On neutral soil, naturally rich, 

 but impoverished, (he early increase much small- 

 er, but growing with time. On calcareous land, 

 no benefit. 



15th. — Increased always, when of any benefit at 

 first, except where much " marl-burning" was 

 caused by the dressing having been too heavy. 



IQth. — No general diminution expected, and none 

 believed to be possible, under a mild and judi- 

 cious rotation of crops. 



17<A.— Only as above stated, from marling too 



