THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



519 



On that portion which had been covered with 

 straw no such difRoully was experienced, it retain- 

 ing sufRcieni moisture to render ploughing easy ; 

 while on soil of similar texture, and, in every re- 

 spect, the covering of siraw excepted, the same 

 was hard, dry, and difficult to plough. 



In the first number of "Notes on Sandy Point 

 estate," reference was made to the then general 

 inferiority oi" the sioi'k of cattle, sheep and 

 hogs. The iniroduciion of the Durham breed ol 

 cattle is, from present appearances, likely to etiect 

 here a desirable improvement in this species of 

 Btoclc, though as yet there has not been sufficient 

 lime to properly test their value. Some of the 

 raising stock from a Durham bull, out of the com- 

 mon breed of cows, are looking very likely. The 

 stalling of oxen used lor labor is here being so far 

 attended with much benefit and improvement — 

 from 76 the number has bp.en reduced to 44; and, 

 60 soon as some young animals are old enough 

 for work, their numbers will be again increased to 

 48, and which it is now believed will be sufficient 

 for the operations on the estate, for which their la- 

 bor IS required. In other words, 48 oxen will, un- 

 der the improved arrangements which Mr. Boiling 

 has made (or their more comfortable shelter and 

 accomodaiion, (iseding and the working of only 

 young and efficient animals, do ail the work lor- 

 merly requiring from 7j6 to bO. We are yet under 

 the necessity of working several oxen which ar^ 

 much too aged, and consequently not as efiioient 

 as would be desirable, but which evil will be re- 

 medied, and in future avoided, as speedily as 

 young animals can be raised to supply their place. 



A ram from the flock of John A. "Selden, esq., 

 of VVeslover in this county, a cross I believe of 

 the Leicester and broad-iail breed of sheep, and 

 when received was, lor his age, one of the finest 

 sheep I have yet seen in this country, has been 

 introduced here, and whose lambs, out of the com- 

 mon and inferior variety of ewes, have exhibited 

 a very decided improvenaent. 



With a view to improve ihe stock of hogs on 

 this estate, ti;e Berkshires were introduced. As 

 yet the realizing olthe benefits anticipated is very 

 doubtful. The pure Berkshires, or what was got 

 as such, whether their tails had the genuine 

 twist, or whether they had the requis'te number 

 ol white hairs, and these on the proper and exact 

 spots, lor the real "S.mon Pures" of this much 

 cracked up breed, I do not know. Certain it is, 

 that, with advantages greatly superior to those ac- 

 corded to our common stock of hogs, the attempt 

 to raise them has been a failure ; they proved 

 small, very indifierent breeders, bringing Irom two 

 to five pigs at a liiter, and these, "like angel's visit?, 

 lew and far between." One sow, a hkely look- 

 ing animal, has, wiih superior advantages, not 

 produced a liiter in twelve months. These are 

 now consigned to the fauening pen as a hopeless 

 stock. Shoats, a cross from the Berkshire boar 

 with our com.uon sows, are much more likely 

 than the pure breed, though even they do not 

 now present that degree of improvement that was 

 at one time anticipated. A boar of what is termed 

 the " Improved Skinner" breed has been intro- 

 duced to sows the progeny of the common Virgi- 

 nia hog and Berkshire boar. Whether any fur- 

 ther improvement may thus be effected is yet 

 uncertain. Steps are now being taken for the 

 better accommodation and more economical lieed- 



ing of these animals, with hopes that their im- 

 provement may thereby be accelerated, 



A. Nicoiii 



RECENT AND EXTENSIVE MARLIKG IN SOUTH 

 CAROLINA. 



Comnmnicated for the Fanners' Register. 

 Columbia S. C. Nov. 30, 1842. 



Dear sir — It affbrda me great pleasure to com- 

 ply with your requrst, to furnish you v/ith a state- 

 ment of my marling operations during the first 

 year, and the result of them so far as it has been 

 ascertained. 



I commenced in November last to rriarl my 

 plantation at Silver Bluff, on Savannah river. 

 There is no marl on the place. I procured it from 

 Shell Bluff on the same river, and had to boat it 

 12 miles up the stream. It requires eleven prime 

 hands to man the boat I use, and when the 

 river is not too high they make two trips a weelc, 

 loading and unloading themselves. They bring 

 about 1100 bushels at a load. The marl is landed 

 at a spot below high water mark, and during the 

 whoje crop season two other hands and two carta 

 are constantly engaged in hauling it to a place of 

 security on the top of the bluff. At other times 

 it is hauled directly from the landing to the fields. 

 There are however 13 hands and 2 mules lost to 

 the crop. My boat, which is ,a common pole 

 boat, was built chiefly by my own people, and 

 cost me about S^JOOj including their labor. There 

 have been incidental expenses to the amount of 

 about ^200 this year. During the year ending 

 on the 8lh of November, there were 85 trips 

 made and about 93,000 bushels brought up. I 

 think I can safely calcula'eon bringing up 100,000 

 bushels per annum hereafter, with Ihe same force. 

 I mention these facts that every one may form hia 

 own estimate of the cost of procuring marl under 

 similar circumstances. My calculation is that it 

 costs me about 2 cents a bushel delivered on my 

 bluff. To one having nparl on his own premises 

 nearly the whole ol tliis expense would be saved. 

 I am enabled, byomiiiing to open new land, to 

 KrtuI out and spread this marl, without interfering 

 with other plantation work, or lessening ihe num- 

 ber of acres planted per hand. In hauling out 

 I have not been able to do as iniicli as they do 

 in Virginia. Mr. Ruflin, the. author of the marl- 

 ing system, h.uled 24 loads oi 5^ bushels with 

 each cart per day a distance of 147 yards; I have 

 done but little over half as well. I use mules' 

 however, and land being level carried 6J bushels 

 at a load. I (bund the mules could not stand trot- 

 ing back with the empty cart.- The marl weighs 

 ab'out 105 lbs. per bushel. My land was laid ofi'in 

 squares, so many to an acre and a load dropped 

 in each square. It wjs spread f^y hand; each 

 negro taking his square, and carrying his marl 

 on a board or in a small tray. A prime fellow 

 can spread an acre in a day. But it is a hard 

 tjsk, and counting the gang round 1 have not ave- 

 raged over half an acre (or each worker. The 

 marl spreads be?t when damp. It will then yield 

 to the hand, and lumps are ia general easily 

 crushed. 



Shell Bluff is a bold cliff on Savannah river, 

 over 200 feet high and in some places more than 

 100 feet perpendicular. Professor Vanuxem, who 



