FARMERS' REGISTER 



691 



existence of green-sand in Virginia, insiead of a 

 generi\l confiJence being yielded, without trial or 

 proper evidence, in the asserted marvellous ellects, 

 the important lacts would already have been 

 proved ; anil the true value of green-sand might 

 jiave been known and availed ol^ — and the liilse 

 and delusive opinions dissipated, and no longer al- 

 lowed to lead to erroneous practice and loss. Such 

 a course of experiment, on this, as on vaiious 

 other subjects, nn'ght well have been an ellect of 

 the labcirs of a Board of Agriculture, if the " pen- 

 ny-wise and p lunJ-lboIish' policy of the Virginia 

 legislature, or ;!s penny saving and pound-wasting 

 usage, had not refused even that liumble and low- 

 priced aid to agricultural improvement; and such 

 a course of judicious experiments, even if Unfiled 

 to this one subject of green-sand, would have 

 been more productive of information, arid of pro- 

 fit, to the stale, than all tfie discoveries and specu- 

 lations to be found in the state geological reports, 

 upon that and every other subject of research, put 

 together. 



TRANSPORTATION OF MARL ON THE PAMUN- 

 KEY RIVER, AND ITS EXPEXSE. 



To tlie Editor of llie Farmers' Register. 



Chericokii, Nov. 6th. 1840. 

 In connexion with the reports on marling, which 

 you are now in the progress of publishing, it may 

 not be witliout its use to some, to give you a de- 

 tailed statement of the expenses attending the 

 same, as the [irocess is carried on by me ; lor I 

 am satisfied many are deterred fi"om the use of 

 marl, when not having it on their own farms, 

 from an erroneous idea of the su()posed expense, 

 in procuring it elsewhere. Whatever opinions may 

 have been elicited, or whatever consideration the 

 subject may already have attracted, every day's 

 experience convinces me more and more, that the 

 value of calcareous manures is not sufficiently 

 a|)precia!ed, in the tide water regions of Virginia, 

 or mdeed I may add in all eastern Virginia, nor 

 do I think it will be, till persons try the experiment 

 for themselves. In this county, much good has 

 already been done by marling, and there is cer- 

 tainly an increasing interest on the subject. Some 

 have marled over all their arable lands ; very 

 many are engaged in it, and many are commen- 

 cing, and many others preparing to commence. 

 All, or nearly all, profess lo admit its value, but 

 still there are few who give themselves lo the 

 work, as its importance would seem lo warrant. 

 Although deposites are almost daily being found, 

 where none were thought to exis', still there are 

 many farms and neighborhoods, in marl regions, 

 where none have as yet been found, or if found, 

 are unavaiUng to the owners, fi-oin their locality; but 

 which farms are in a lew miles, either by land or 

 water, of inexhaustible deposiies of the richest 

 marls, the most valuable and only permanent 

 manures (save lime) wliich can be ap|)lied to our 

 acid, and without calcareous matter, comparative- 

 ly sterile soils. Siill these owners are prevented 

 from using the only means which can enrich their 

 lands, by an indefiniie idea of the expenses attend- 

 ing ihe use of marl, where it is not to be procured 

 on their own lands. It is with Ihe view of aiding 

 the latter class chiefly, if this should come under 



the notice of any such, that I propose to make the 

 following statement. 



As I have already stated in my answers to your 

 queries on the sut)ject of marling, all the marl 

 wliich I use, 1 bring 8 miles down ihe river. My 

 boat is a decked, or what is calleil, a camel light- 

 er. It is 48 feet long, by 12 wide, the sides 32 

 inches deep. When properly loaded, it carries 

 about 600 bushels. Two hands man her very 

 well, but they cannot make a lull load in two 

 days the lime allotted for a load. This is easily- 

 done by 3 men the number usually carried, though 

 2 hands will bring down 400 bushels, in llie above 

 mentioned lime. 



The marl is wheeled in on barrows, some 10, 

 20 or 30 feet, as work is extended into the bank, 

 and is discharged in the same way at the wharf 

 or landing at home. At the above rate it would 

 a'we 100 bushels of marl per day for each hand. 

 Now estimating the value of each hand at g 150 

 a year, for hire, clothing and feeding, allowing 300 

 working days, would be 50 cents a day, or ^3 

 lor the trip of 2 days. The boat only cost me 

 S70 out of pocket ; but the ship carpenter, who 

 built her, said he could not build one, furnishing 

 materials himself^ for less than $300, so we will 

 put it at that price ; the interest on which, would 

 be .91s per annum; and supposing the lighter 

 would last 10 years, the common life allotted to 

 such boats, it would be necessary to create a sink- 

 ing fund of $;30 a year, which would be an addi- 

 tional 10 per cent, on each glOO ; so that at the 

 expiration of the 10 years, you would be reimburs- 

 ed in the original cost, to which may be added 

 for the annual repairs of the boat, ifilO, and wear 

 and tear of implements used by the laborers, such 

 as wheel- barrows, picks, grubbing hoes and sho- 

 vels, $5, a liberal allowance, making, viz : inter- 

 est S18+sinking iLmd 830-j-repairs iglO-f-imple- 

 ments $5=^563 per annum, lor boat expenses, &c. 

 Now allowing the boat to run but 8 monlhs in the 

 year, would be but 208 working days, making 30^ 

 cents per diem, or CI cents a trip, which makes 

 Ihe actual cost of the marl at my landing (not 

 paying any thing for the marl) ^3. 61 cents, per 

 boat load of 600 bushels, or rather over half a 

 C' nt per bushel. The expense of hauling there- 

 from, will depend upon the distance to be hauled, 

 on the fields, which each one can best estimate 

 for himself, and it will therefore be unnecessary 

 tor me to do it in this place. When spread on the 

 land, I should think it cheap to estimate the in- 

 trinsic value of the marl at 10 cents, per bushel ; 

 which, at the rale 1 apply it, of 200 lo 250 bushels 

 per acre, would make $20 to $25 jjer acre, and I 

 ihink I may safely say the enhanced value of 

 the land, would be considerably more than that 

 amount, as soon as laid on. 



Perhaps larger boats, such as are used on the 

 canal at Richmond, which carry, I have been in- 

 formed, 1200 bushels of coal, would answer better; 

 that is, be of more easy navigation, and carrying 

 so much more, would make it cheaper, [larticular- 

 ly if to be transported any distance. Such is my 

 opinion of the value of marl, afier an experience 

 of" some 8 years in its use, that I should not hesi- 

 tate to carry it one hundred miles, on navigable 

 water, provided it was good, and I could procure 

 neither that nor lime nearer. Should any think 

 the estimates I have made loo high, or loo low, 

 fur labor, he can allcr them lo suit his views ; but 



