1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



669 



hearing repeatedly of Mr. Philips^ and one other 

 machine of great promise, and indeed, when in 

 u^e, giving conclusive proof of the value of it, 1 

 prepared tiie timber, engaged Mr. George Philips 

 the inventor, to assist, and in tiie month of March 

 last, he, witli my own carpenters built one lor me, 

 and put it to work. I wish all improvers wilh marl 

 who get it from pits of caving earth, or water 

 running in so freely as to be in the way, would 

 come and look at mine when at work, being well 

 convinced myself that in such situations they are 

 extremely valuable. 



I commenced raising marl by hand two years 

 ago in August, and duriuir that year, and the 

 following winter, got out 25,000 bushels, which 

 was applied to the land at the rate generally of 

 250 bushels per acre. In one instance, on a wet, 

 lovv, waste spot of land, ot" about 4 acres, I plough- 

 ed in about 375 bushels to the acre ; the corn crop 

 on it was good for such land, [n March, it was 

 sown in oats, and in a few days, say by the 20; h of 

 the month, in clover seed. The crop of oats was 

 very fine. Tlie clover took kindly, has been, in 

 August, 3 l(3et high, and is now as thick as need 

 be, and about two feet high. The field in which 

 this spot is situated, contains 45 acres. The whole 

 was marled and ploughed in with double ploughs, 

 5 inches deep, but the covering very scant, no- 

 thing in fact but a scattering growth of weeds 

 and a little crab grass and hen's-nest grass. I 

 marled a slip fifty leet wide, across the field, fi'om 

 north to souih, at the rate of 125 bushels per acre, 

 and another of twenty-five feet wide half across, 

 at 500 bushels per acre. I am unwilling to pro- 

 nounce any opinion as to the difference between 

 the crops, corn, oats, or clover, grown on the scant, 

 on the average, or on the double quantity of marl. 

 You will keep in mind that the body of the field 

 was marled at the rate 250 per acre. I shall 

 notice the progress of the next crops of corn and 

 wheat, and will then let you know decisively my 

 opinion as to the advantage or propriety of apply- 

 ing either of the dillerent quantities. [ am the 

 more desirous to set some otht?rs at observing the 

 difference between the very large and the small 

 quantities, because it is stated in the September No. 

 of the Register, that 100 bushels of marl is enough 

 for one acre of land. 



I am now at work with the machine raising 

 marl, though the quantity on the surliice at the 

 different pits is estimated (guessed would be the 

 best term,) at 50,000, and Irom that to 30,000. In 

 three weeks, if weather permit, more will be rea- 

 dy for the carts than I can haul away in twelve 

 months. I am an enthusiast in your cause ; in fact 

 it is mine, and every patriot's cause, and I conform 

 strictly, except as to quantity of marl, wilh your 

 directions in your 'Essay on Calcareous Ma- 

 nures.' I sow clover, but a small portion only is 

 to be grazed, and it is accordingly kept sacred 

 from the hoof; though I have lately obtained at 

 great labor, and risk, and some expense of money, 

 two fine calves of the Durham shorthorn half 

 blood, four lambs, two of each sex, of Bakewell 

 and Merino blood, ver}' fine size, wool and Ibrm, 

 and the calves unecpialled before among us ; and 

 two pigs of an extraordinary size, and beautiful 

 appearance of their age, milk-white in color. 



In my endeavors to escape from, or to cure a 

 terrible disease which had afflicted me lor three 

 years, 1 went up to the vicinity of Winchester, 



the last of July. On my way, and whilst staying 

 over the ridge, I saw not an acre of clover equal 

 to my own sown in March last, on good land to 

 be sure, and marled at the rate of three hundred 

 bushels to the acre. We had cut about one-third of 

 the lot, the whole being? acres, for seed, and at my 

 return, 29th September, it was still superior to any 

 ! lei't in that fine clover country, which I had just 

 lelt. It shall not, however, be concealed that the 

 last spring was fatal to clover there. I did not see 

 a slack of clover hay, nor hear of one, in the 

 country. Seed clover was almost as scarce, but 

 under the belief that it could hardly be got for 

 sowing, several in the vicinity of Whitepost were 

 cultmg a little for their own use ; but only two 

 men, spoken of in the country, would make over 

 twenty bushels, and those two together, perhaps 

 two hundred bushels. And here more informa- 

 tion is respectfully solicited fi'ora men of expe- 

 rience, for my own and for the general benefit. Is 

 it best to clean it or pluck it li-om the straw and 

 stem, and sow it in the chaff'? If to clean be best, 

 what is the most approved method of doing so? 

 And particularly, I would like to know if any one 

 has ever tried the cotton, gin ; passing it between 

 the saws in the manner of cotton. One of your 

 correspondents in the July No., asserts that the dif- 

 ference is nothing at all between using marl as a 

 top dressing and ploughing it in, and this, as he 

 asserts, after an experience of forty years. Now, 

 Mr. Ruffiii, let it be understood by all, that I have 

 on the surlace ready to be hauled and applied in 

 my best guess, 30,000 bushels, and am within a 

 lew days of being ready in every respect to com- 

 mence moving it ; think of the diffi^rence to me, 

 between applying 250 and 125 or 100 bushels to 

 the acre! And noi to me alone, but to others, the fact 

 would be important if it were well ascertained 

 that 125 bushels, say, is as good to the acre, as 

 250, and that the mere sprinkling it on the top of 

 the land, answers as well as ploughing it in. I 

 am well convinced, that it takes me nearly as long 

 to plough in, as to haul ; and by the rule of three, 

 it would take twice as long to apply 250 as 125 

 bushels, but such is not the fact, lor the more land 

 you marl, the further you would be from the pit at 

 the end of every day or two ; it is easy and plain 

 however, to see that the saving of time and labor 

 to tfie improver would be prodigious. The an- 

 swers to the questions I have asked, would I think 

 be of general benefit, and under that view of the 

 matter, 1 hope that men of knowledge and expe- 

 rience will give their information to the public 

 through you, and all of us be benefited by iheir 

 communications. 



Thus must close my first essay in this line, 

 only begging that whatever you may think tire- 

 some, or valueless, may be erased at your discre- 

 tion, or the whole thrown into the fire if you think 

 it best. Whatever be the success of my letter. I 

 am deepl}'- anxious for the success of the agricul- 

 tural interests, and am your liiend, and humble 

 servant, Joseph Masoiv, sen. 



JVovemher SB, 1839. 

 P. S. Forgetfulness, rather than the want of im- 

 portance, prevented me from giving you in my late 

 comnmnication the description of my marl ma- 

 chine, which so well deserves notice. I state this 

 as an apolooy liir adding a lew paragraphs, though 

 ttjarful (hat it is too tedious and too long to meet 



