1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



269 



one can want, that will labor; and the able, who 

 refuse to work, will there meel willi no support. 

 In the country, I never heard ol" poor; in the 

 great towns, there is a reception for such as want 

 it; in which are a ihw people, chiefly negroes and 

 foreigners, whom the accidents to which the lower 

 classes are liable in a town, or the diseases of a new 

 climate, compel here to seek a refuge. These 

 poorhouses are either maintained by a tax on the 

 inhabitants, or more generally by the corporation 

 of the town, or by the state. 



None emigrate to the frontiers beyond the moun- 

 tains, except culprits, or savage hack-wood's men, 

 chiefly of Irish descent. This line of frontier-men, 

 a race possessing all the vices of civilized and sa- 

 vage lile, without the. virtues of either; affording 

 the singular spectacle of a race, seeking, and vol 

 untarily sinking into barbarism, out of a state of 

 civilized life; the outcasts of the world, and the dis- 

 grace of it; are to be met with, on the western 

 frontiers from Pennsylvania, inclusive to the iar- 

 thest south. 



GREAT DEPTH OF THE BET) OF MAUL LYING 

 UNDER NORFOLK. 



Having recently learned in a conversation with an 

 intelligent gentleman of Norfolk, Va. that the boring 

 for water in that town had passed through a bed of 

 marl for more than 70 feet, without reaching its bot- 

 tom, we were anxious to ascertain the strength of the 

 body: and requested to be furnished with specimens 

 (which had been preserved) from the upper, mid- 

 dle, and lowest part. These have been received, en- 

 closed in the following letter, which, though private, 

 we will make free to publish, as it states what is desi- 

 rable to know, both clearly and concisely. The three 

 specimens were so small that no larger trials could be 

 made than are stated below— and nothing was sought 

 but the carbonate of lime, which is contained in very 

 small and yet very regular proportions, for such great 

 difference of depths. The earth when mixed with di- 

 luted muriatic acid, is of an unusually vivid green co- 

 lor — and probably contains more green sand, than of 

 carbonate of lime. This however is merely loose sup- 

 position. The depth at which this great bed of marl 

 lies, and its small amount of calcareous matter, render 

 the facts of less importance to agricultural, than they 

 may be to geological investigators. 



The carbonate of lime found was as follows. 

 At 70 feet deep — 20 grs. contained 2 of carb. of lime. 



102 34 3£ 



140 27 3 



Or proportions varying between 10 and 11 per cent. 



Norfolk, July ISlh, 1835. 



Dear Sir — It affords me much pleasure to be 

 able to comply with my promise, as regards the 

 marl found in boring l'or water in this place. 



I have seen one of the gentlemen who conduct- 

 ed the operation, and have obtained from him 

 some information as to the different strata through 

 which the auger passed, which I submit. 



"For 14 feet below the surface, fine sand. 



— 16 feet more, marsh mud and shells, chiefly 



clam and oyster. 



— 10 feet more, unable to judge — the pipe be- 



ing filled by upper mud. 



12 feet more, fine quick sand, unmixed. 

 12 to 16 feet more, a different stratum of 

 gravel, in size from less than an eighth, 

 to three-quarters of an inch, the longest 

 diameter — varying in color, but chiefly 

 clear white, much resembling crystal. 

 Thence to the depth when the auger broke, say 

 70 or 80 feet, green marl." 



This information is not given from notes, and is 

 not exact as to distances, making the depth 138 

 to 148 — the true depth reached being 143 feet. 



I have received 12 samples of the following 

 depths: 43 feet— 47— 49— 57— 62. These five 

 are all of sand and shells, or pure sand. The 

 others are 70 feet— 82— 92— 102— 108— 128— 

 140. These are all of marl, of nearly the 

 same uniform appearance as to color, and of the 

 consistence of putty. The only perceptible dif- 

 ference was that the upper part of the bed seemed 

 to have more undecomposed shell in it, although 

 shells were found at every depth. 



I enclose small quantities of the marl at 70 — 

 102 — and 140 feet. Should you wish others I can 

 supply you with them at any time. 



THE THREE-SHIFT SYSTEM. ON SPAYING 



HEIFERS. ' 



To tlie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



White Marsh, Gloucester, July 10, 1835. 



If I had leisure and the ability to convey my 

 thoughts clearly and forcibly, I should certainly 

 make some remarks for publication (and you are 

 at liberty to use these if you think proper, and will 

 take the trouble to correct and improve, holding 

 me responsible for the facts* — ) upon Mr. John 

 A. Selden's communication in the first No. of the 

 third volume of the Register; because it is calcu- 

 lated, I think, from the high standing and charac- 

 ter of the author, as a gentleman and agricultu- 

 rist, to mislead most farmers of the salt water re- 

 gion. His system may answer very well at West- 

 over, and upon the fine Avheat and clover lands on 

 James River, after leaving the salt water, but as 

 far as my observation extends, I do not think it 

 will answer below. I have uniformly observed 

 that the most successful farmers with us, those who 

 live best, and accumulate most, (and I go for re- 

 sults altogether,) have been large Indian corn ma- 

 kers. That is a very certain crop on tide-water, 

 whereas wheat is a very uncertain, at any rate a 

 very unproductive one. On the White Marsh es- 

 tate, producing from seventeen to eighteen hun- 

 dred barrels of corn annually, it has not varied 

 five per cent, for the last four years. There has 

 been some improvement in the cultivation, which 

 has enabled me to reserve a part of the former 

 corn land for fallow and improvement, during sum- 

 mer, and still make about the same quantity of 

 corn, as communicated to you in the early part of 

 your useful publication. 



I suppose Mr. Selden has stated the average 

 corn crop made, and not what was sold, (I enter- 

 tain the opinion of an old friend who considered 



*We take this liberty whenever it is deemed neces- 

 sary, as to matters of mere form. In this case it is in 

 no respect called for. Ed. 



