422 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



waa estimated at IJ tone (3000 lbs.) to the acre ; 

 which rose to 2 tons the next summer, and to 3 

 tons on the third season. One mowing only is 

 taken in a year, afier which the grass is pastured. 

 A neighboring farmer, named Chew, whose farm 

 was among those 1 saw, about six years ago pur- 

 chased his land, then in very poor condition. 

 The first year his supply of grass could not graze 

 and fodder, and that badly, but (wo or three horses 

 and six or eight cows. Two years ago he mowed 

 100 tons of good hay, and might have mowed 50 

 more. He had applied the green-sand earth ra- 

 pidly and heavily. Though purchased Irom his 

 neighbor's pits, the distance was small. He ap- 

 plied generally more ihai 200 bushels, and some- 

 times he save as much as 50 ions or wagon loads, 

 making 1000 bushels to the acre. The present 

 general appearance of fertilny of his land answers 

 to the report of the great improvement made. 



Another larmer bought a larm in the worst and 

 poorest condiiion at ,^9 the acre, which price is 

 held here to be exiremely Ijw. (Good land, or 

 such as is well improved by this mode, will sell 

 for SlOO the acre.) In lour years alter his first 

 application of this earth, he renied out 6 acres of 

 the ground so improved, to another person lor 

 $150, lor (he raising of a single crop of sweet 

 po{atoes. And the tenant, alier paying (his rent, 

 and all other expenses of tillage, &c., would 

 have cleared $300 by his crop, il he had sold in 

 the fall ; but choosing to keep his potatoes through 

 winter, he lost a large portion by (heir rotting. 



With such particular facts of remarkable im- 

 provements and profits from particular applica- 

 tions of this eanh, I might fill more space than 

 this whole ardcle ought to occupy. The general 

 appearance of improvement, pointed out to me 

 on (he many farms 1 rode by and (hrough, con- 

 trasted with other, and sometimes with the im- 

 mediately adjoining natural and poor land, was 

 abundantly convincing and sahslijciory as 1o ge- 

 neral results. And in many cases, Uie lines of 

 separation, where the las( dressitiij stopped, were 

 seen, showing as great and as stril<mg ditierence 

 as are produced by (he best eti'ects of (he calca- 

 reous marl of lower Virginia — or say from double 

 to quadruple (he products of (he unimproved 

 ground. 



Bu( it should be remembered (hat it has been 

 only by long and varied trials of different kinds of 

 green-sand earths, and on different soils and under 

 different circumsiances — and not without nume- 

 rous early failures and heavy losses, that (he 

 lijrmers have arrived at their present degree ol 

 certainty as (o deriving sure and profiiable effects 

 from particular modes of application. And even 

 now, after such long use, my experienced and 

 inielligent informants state that the only safe 

 way in beginning new operations, is to try a small 

 quantity of each availaljle variety of earth, upon 

 every different variety of soil designed to be 

 dressed, and to wait lor the results of these ex- 

 periments to direct which manure to use, and 

 where to apply it. The necessi(y of the case has 

 had the good efTect of inducing almost every 

 farmer to be a careful experimenter; and has 

 caused more knowledge to be thus gained, than 

 is usual by such means. Still, I repeat, all these 

 numerous experiments, and the long and varied 

 general operations, have not made known any 

 fhing of the mysterious cause and manner ol 



action of this manure, nor even enabled any safe 

 general rules to be formed for new operations. 



The price paid for the green-sand earth is the 

 smallest part of the expense. The distances to 

 which it is hauled are such as would astonish 

 the most zealous marlers ol V^irginia. If not 

 exceeding two miles, the distance is deemed of 

 no account. The greater number probably haul 

 more than four miles. In Burlington county, 

 (he greates( distance heard of to which it was 

 known to be wagoned, as a regular business was 

 nine miles; in Gloucester fourteen miles, and 

 elsewhere it has been wagoned more than fifieen 

 miles. Most of this woik is done in wimer, 

 when, as the farmers eay, they could do little 

 else. My two companions, who haul four and five 

 miles, make but two loads a day with a team ; 

 and many regular and well satisfied operators 

 can make but one load a day, with a good team. 

 The varying but always enormous expenses may 

 be thence computed. Yet, though these im- 

 proving farmers are numerous, it should not be 

 mferred that all are so. Many make little or no 

 use ol this manure; and of these, some are the 

 nearest neighbors to the diggings. 



Caustic stone lime is used by the best farmers 

 in Gloucester, who also use the green-sand earth, 

 and sometimes the two manures are mixed to- 

 gether before being applied, under the belief that 

 the efiect of each is (hereby increased. The 

 lijrmers suppose that boih produce different and 

 independent benefits to the land, no matter which 

 may be the first or the last applied. 



But the eflecis of lime must be small compared 

 toother and usual cases. Josiah Tatum, while 

 larming in this neighborhood, applied some (hou- 

 sands "of bushels of lime as manure, at various 

 times, and does not think that more than a (emh 

 of (he quantity applied was really profitable. He 

 (ound most benefit Irom lime on good medium soils, 

 such as the sloping margins of lormer ponds, on 

 which lime did better than on the stifier land be- 

 low, now drained, or the more sandy, lying higher. 

 Joseph Whiiall has used lime af diHerent times 

 lor 25 years, and is doubtful whether (he whole 

 profit has more than paid the whole expense. 



Gypsum is also u^ed by many, and advan- 

 tageously, and is supposed not (o be influenced in 

 its effect by (he previous application of the green- 

 sand earth. Gypsum acts best on the high and 

 light land, on clover, less as approaching the most 

 sa^ndy, and not at all on the lower land or "^quick- 

 sandy bottoms." Even where acting, J. Ta(um 

 deemed its effects as uncertain as the weather. 

 If no rain lell for two weeks or more after sowing 

 the gyp«um, (a bushel (o (he acre,) it rarely acted 

 (hat year; and whether acting or not (he first 

 year, no benefit from it is expected (o last through 

 the second, or to show in any subsequent season. 



After a detention of some days in Philadelphia, 

 which was not altogether fruitless as to the main 

 object of my journey, I proceeded to examine an- 

 other and a"much more improved and important 

 district of New Jersey. This is (he country sur- 

 rounding and neighboring to Woodstown, in Sa- 

 lem county. To see and learn by inquiry more of 

 the soil and country, I travelled by stage coach, 

 disagreeable as that mode was over the deep 

 sandy roads of Gloucester, and in very dry and 

 dusty weather. The steam-boat to Salem offered 



