On Salt Marsh. 259 



er quantity of herbage than fresh marsh produces, and 

 which is constantly rotting, yet held by strong roots, and 

 growing again, may account for the more evident union 

 of vegetable and mineral materials in the soil : the reed 

 on fresh marsh dies early in the fall ; is frangible, and 

 floats away in a few successive tides, without incorpo- 

 rating with the soil. There are three grasses more 

 prevalent than others on salt marsh : one is a long tangled 

 grass that takes root in the sand, as soon as a thin layer 

 of mud is formed upon the latter, at or below low water 

 mark, and grows where the water is generally clear ; it 

 becomes tangled by agitation, catching small portions of 

 floating mud, by which it acquires as much consistence 

 as barely to deserve the name of land. After growing 

 above low water mark, and for a few inches below its 

 own surface, it is solid enough to bear a man ; who, by 

 jumping, may shake it for several yards : an inexperien- 

 ced person would suppose that this kind of marsh might 

 be banked to advantage. It has been tried, near to Allo- 

 way's creek, in Jersey, where the bank formed of this 

 vegetable earth decayed, and settled even with the marsh ; 

 it was so loose as to become saturated with water as the 

 tide flowed; at every recession of which, the sun rotted and 

 in a few years reduced it to its former level. Soon after 

 the bank was thrown, and the ditches were cut, the mea- 

 dow was dry, but in a year or two the whole body became 

 decomposed ; and, for want of mud, or of water sufficient 

 to buoy and sustain it, settled so low that rain water 

 would not run off — there was no fall — thus it became 

 worthless. Then the turf bank rotted, or floated off, and 

 the expense was entirely fruitless. The second species 

 of grass requiring notice is called, in Jersey, " Sedge 



