On the use of Shell-Marl. 241 



land all over with it, without distinction, and to advan- 

 tage ; putting a smaller quantity upon the looser soils. 

 I have applied it as a top dressing on clover, and also 

 where clover has not been sown ; with a view to improv- 

 ing the grass, and also to be satisfied whether it would 

 not be best for the ground, to let it lie spread on the sur- 

 face, for a year before the ground was put into cultiva- 

 tion ; but it has not answered my expectation. I could 

 not perceive any advantage from that mode of applica- 

 tion. I now constantly apply it to the ground cultivated 

 in corn ; carting it out in the winter and spring, and put- 

 ting on from twenty to forty cart loads per acre, accord- 

 ing to the ground, and the previous quantity that had 

 been put on, in former cultivations, dividing each load 

 into from four to eight small heaps, for the greater ease 

 in spreading, according to the size of the load. Some is 

 put on before, and some after the ground is broken up, 

 but it is all worked into the soil by the cultivation of the 

 corn, and it never fails of considerably improving the 

 crop of corn, as also the ground wherever the marl is, 

 especially in largest quantity. There is a small green 

 moss, and black moist appearance, on the surface of the 

 ground, when not cultivated ; as you perceive about old 

 walls, and in strong ground. Though the preceding is 

 the common mode in which I use the marl, I do not think 

 it the best ; I mix some in my farm yard, with the farm 

 yard and stable manure ; and would prefer mixing and 

 applying all that I used thus mixed, but for the labour 

 of double cartage, which I cannot as yet accomplish, ma- 

 nuring so largely as I do. I cultivate one hundred acres 

 yearly, and constantly manure the whole of what I culti- 

 vate ; emploving only four carts, and four hands with 



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