502 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



the American market, after the Eeikshires have 

 had their run : but, how sliall it be told ! even the 

 best breeds are lijuud of dili'f.reiit coloiv, and some- 

 iimcs with less than three while (eel and no while 

 hairs in the tip of the tail ! * # * 



I shall add, the Hanipshires are hardy, feed 

 readily to a very large size, 6 or 7 hundred pounds 

 beinif a common weight amongst the largest ; 

 while pigs of six or nine months are reared to great 

 perfeciiol^i. They are, in their own country, al- 

 ways fattened upon barley, ground into meal, 

 which malies by lar the besi feed. 



John Bancroft. 



P. S. We hear much now-a-days of the fine 

 handling of cattle— and truly there is no mistake 

 about that— but why may we not introduce the 

 eame test of thrift amongst our hogs? it would be 

 a pretty accompaniment to a ivhitc tipped tail ! 



J)utchess County, JV. Y., July 29, 1840. 



CONSIDERATION ON THE MEANS OF DIFFUS- 

 ING KNOWLEDGE IN MARLING IN SOUTH 

 CAROLINA. 



From tlie Carolina Planter. 

 Some of the remarks of Mr. Ruffiin, as copied 

 from the Farmers' I\cs,isler into the 20ih No. ol' 

 the Carolina Planter, would seem to militate 

 against the utility of geological surveys. Speak- 

 ing of the improvements that have taken place 

 in the poor lands of Lower Virginia, by the use 

 of marl, he says that " the Geological Survey had 

 no more agency in producing this improvement 

 than it had in exciting the Seminole war." And 

 adds, "if it has produced any good elfccls to the 

 general and agricultural interests ol' Virginia, ol 

 as much worth as the marling of even 100 acres 

 of poor land, we confess that we are unacquainted 

 with all such results." All this may, perhaps, 

 be true. If I am not mistaken the beds of lime 

 and marl in Lower Virginia were long known to 

 the inhabitants, and it was not necessary therelbre 

 Ibr the surveyors to point them out. But it certainly 

 requires some sort of a survey to discover marl 

 in places where it is not known to exist. You may 

 adopt the specific term of marl survey if you 

 please, or the generic term of geological survey — 

 embracing the examination not only Ibr marl, but 

 also slate, quartz, granite, &c. &c., in short all 

 the different substances that compose the earth ; 

 still a survey or examination is required ; and 1 

 preler the geological survey, as this will embrace 

 not only the examination for substances that will 

 benefit airriculture, but also the natural sciences 

 and mechanic arts. 



Let it not be supposed that because Mr. Ruffin 

 has not seen good ellects produi'ed by the geolo- 

 gical survey of Virginia, equal lolhe benefits arisiuG 

 from marling even 100 acres of poor land, that all 

 geological surveys are of but litile importance. 

 Other slates nf the union have had mines of 

 vvealih developed by their geological surveys, and 

 we do not know what is to be Ibmid in South Ca- 

 rolina, until the trial is made. We have had en- 

 couragement enough in the discoveries that have 

 already been made, to commence a survey of the 

 Blale ; and the importance of the subject is cer- 

 tainly adequaie to the email amount necessary to 

 defray ii^^ expense, i have ulvvays been under 



the impression that a survey was necessary to de- 

 velope all the resources of the state. Unless we 

 have a survey iiow are we to know where marl 

 exists. Query. 



Remarks in Reply. 



The article referred to above was not designed 

 " to militate against the utility of geological sur- 

 veys" in general ; and we are very ready to admit 

 that such surveys, properly conducted, would be 

 tlie most important means of discovering, making 

 known, and bringing into use, the hidden mineral 

 resources of a country ; and, so far as these mine- 

 rals are manures, of aiding essentially the pro- 

 gress of agricultural improvement. Still, we re- 

 tract none of the assertions and opinions referred 

 to above. The question then under consideration, 

 and to which our comments particularly applied, 

 was as to the ulility and value of a geological sur- 

 vey for discovering marl and other mineral ma- 

 nures alone. On this point, we not only reassert 

 all that was said before, but will fiirther maintain, 

 that, judging from every thing yet effected in this 

 way, the discoveries of marl by any geological 

 surveyor, and all useful results from such disco- 

 veries, would be beneath contempt, compared to 

 those which have been and may easily be made 

 by intelligent and observant cultivators, on their 

 own and their neighbors' lands. Nor are geolo- 

 gical and other scientific attainments necessary for 

 such observations and discoveries. It only re- 

 quires the time, leisure, opportunity, and fitness for 

 careful and correct observation and collection of 

 facts, which hundreds of agriculturists possess, 

 and who, after all, are the persons who discover 

 the important facts, which are afterwards gathered 

 up and appropriated by geological surveyors. 

 When things are ripe and ready for the com- 

 mencement of a new improvemen-t, any means 

 which may be used for collecting and distributing 

 knowledge (hereon cannot fail to render service ; 

 and such would probably be the slate of things 

 now in South Carolina, marl being the subject of 

 inquiry, and a geological surve}' being used as the 

 means for difl'using knowledge thereof. But we 

 nevertheless maintain, that by an agricultural sur- 

 vey, either general or limited, that particular ob- 

 ject would be far better effected, and, at the same 

 time, other intportant subjects of agricultural im- 

 provement be aided. We do not pretend to esti- 

 mate the value of the geological survey of Vir- 

 oinia to agricultural interests. But of this we are 

 very sure, that if as much money as the cost of 

 the geological survey has been and will be, had 

 been judiciously expended for an agricultural sur- 

 vey, that its benefits to a degree would have been 

 greater, beyond the power of comparison. 



But if in any way. direct or induect, proper os- 



