81 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 2 



why will they not help? Because they cannot sur- 

 pass every body else ; because some more igno- 

 rant reader, or less willing contributor, may hap- 

 pen to say, " this is not new, I knew it long ago." 

 While then we aim at perfection, let us remember 

 that the end is to be attained by gradual improve- 

 ment. Let us not be ashamed of small things, 

 great ones were never yet possessed without 

 them. By the use of twenty-six letters, which 

 were at first only sounded, without vanity, pride 

 or shame, the most extraordinary developments of 

 the human mind have been accomplished. Let 

 us do likewise. We should all have cause to re- 

 joice to see the Register filled monthly with what 

 we have seen, heard and done ; particularly in 

 our own state, and more especially in the eastern 

 part of it, lor we need most. But as to what I 

 have done, seen or heard. 



I did not commence the use of marl on the 

 place where I live at this time, until 1837. Its ef- 

 lects, consequently, have been observed but on the 

 two succeeding crops ; they are good. I think 

 that I may with confidence assert, that I have 

 seen as much as one hundred per cent, produced 

 in the product of poor land. All, however, are 

 not yet convinced of the value of marl. Be- 

 coming zeal on the part of its users will sooner or 

 later bring it into general use. I think it proba- 

 ble that many are prevented from using it on ac- 

 count of the burden imposed by the example of 

 those who are applying or have applied it. They 

 are unwilling to begin so heavy a job, as it would 

 be to put from three to five hundred bushels of 

 marl to the acre. I find that no difi'erence in 

 crops can be discovered from like land that has 

 been marled at small and heavy rates. Some ten 

 years ago, I marled a small farm with very strong 

 marl, at the rates of seventy, and six hundred 

 bushels. The result was, that the last was in- 

 jured, while the first was equal to marling, at any 

 rate, between those extremes. I now consider, 

 that marl, which contains from sixty to seventy- 

 five per cent, of lime, should seldom be applied in 

 a quantity greater than one hundred and twenty 

 bushels to the acre. When the land will bring 

 now five barrels to the acre, one-fifly may be used. 

 The marl 1 ase is from what is called the lower 

 deposite. Some beds are highly calcareous, while 

 others have but a small per cent.; and one kind 

 into which I have dug, has no lime. This ap- 

 pears to be of a dark "bottle-green" color, and is 

 what we call about here, "green sand," though 

 much finer, and considerably different in appear- 

 ance from the Pamunky "green sand" marl. I 

 am not yet able to report on the effects of this de- 

 posite. Over my strongest marl, I olten find an 

 over-layenof whatis called "blue-fuller." I think 

 it what the English call "fat marl." I was, at 

 first, at a loss what to do with it, but found, on tri- 

 al, that it was highly serviceable when applied 

 with the shelly part. It appeared to increase the 

 corn-crop nearly fifty per cent, above the simply 

 marled land. That mass of blue was once shells, 

 I think, which were dissolved by the acids of our 

 hills. Some minute shells are still undissolved in 

 it; it abounds most, under oozing hill-sides. 



Besides the blue mass, I have tried the swamp 

 over-layer, or mud. Its effi^cts are also very good 

 with the marl. I tried this on some four or five 

 acres alone, last year ; but the season was too dry 

 to enable me to judge of it ; it must wait for ano- 

 ther crop. 



I think that I have perceived a manifest differ- 

 ence between the dry beds of marl, and the marl 

 of the lower deposite, in their operation on the na- 

 <itr«i grasses. Both kinds will expel the /JotJerii/ 

 grass ; but the higher kind will greatly lessen the 

 crab and fbx-tail grasses, both valuable; while 

 the lower deposite seems to promote the growth 

 of both of these. I am sustained in this observa- 

 tion by others, and men of experience. It may 

 result li-om the application of too much marl, per- 

 haps added to rather too deep ploughing. Close 

 grazing also helps, no doubt. But I have thought 

 that the lower marl contains a salt, not possessed 

 by the higher, which acts as manure, not only to 

 the grasses, but to the crops. This salt can be 

 observed to cover every lump of marl which haa 

 been exposed for a while to the atmosphere, as an 

 efhorescent white coat. !n an analysis rudely 

 made by me, I lost about 24 per cent., which ap- 

 peared to liave gone off' in the solution. I am 

 pretty certain, that this salt, is not "green sand." 

 I sent a sample of m.arl to Prolessor Rogers, re- 

 questing him to analyze with reference to it, but 

 he evidently overlooked it. 



A word as to the "marl indicator." In a back 

 number of the Register, some curiosity was ex- 

 pressed in reference to its discovery. It seemed to be 

 thought highly important. It was suggested, as 

 well as I recollect, that it had been credited to Dr. 

 Westmore, which the doctor declined. I should 

 be glad to know who indeed first noticed the con- 

 nexion between this plant and the existence of 

 marl. In relerence to the matter, I will slate, that 

 I distinctly noticed the fact, and constantly, for 

 many years, urged the importance of it upon the 

 public, from the year 1823, when I first com- 

 menced the use of marl. I had never heard of 

 it before my observation of it. Finding that it 

 never failed to indicate the presence of marl, or 

 lime, in some form, I considered it highly valuable. 

 While I entertain the hope, that many will yet be 

 benefited by the discovery, I make these remarks 

 merely to ascertain whether any other person had 

 noticed the fact before me. 



I am trying the prolific corn. The seed were 

 obtained of James JVL Garnett, Esq. The first 

 seed were planted in a corner of a fielil, and of 

 course, received a cross of a large white kind of 

 corn, which grew partly round the corner. I did 

 not like the first crop very well, but concluded, not- 

 withstanding, toexlend tliecrossed-seed to half my 

 crop in 1837, in comparison with a very fine large 

 while corn of the neighborhood. The tost lands, 

 particularly, two acre-lots near the house, were not 

 precisely equal, but nearly so. The prolific lot 

 was too thick, (a great mistake as to that corn, 

 it recjuiring, from acclimation, more distance than 

 is usually given,) and consequently it fired consid- 

 erably, but yielded eight barrels, one bushel and a 

 hall'tothe acre; while the other gave a product of 

 only twenty-nine bushels. The two lots were im- 

 mediately contiguous, so as to cross again. From 

 this second crop, being convinced that the prolific 

 suited me, notwithstanding the fault-finding of ma- 

 ny who had tried it, I took my seed exclusively. 

 My last year's crop was of that kind. I find that 

 weak land, such as mine, in general is, cannot pro- 

 duce a very large corn ; and if it be made able to 

 bring th(! largest to perfection, it will certainly give 

 a fair return of the smaller varieties. Many of 

 those who have fallen out with the prolific corn, 



