No. 124.] 87 



two, from which I pulled an average bunch of straw stubble, that is 

 more than double the size and weight of any like parcel of stubble to 

 be found in the whole rield of several acres. Unfortunately the hus- 

 bandman had cradled all the wheat indiscriminately, which prevent- 

 ed Mr. Maxwell from examining the separate products of the wheat. 

 I should not hesitate to pronounce it a double product. Mr. M. top- 

 dressed a field of oats wiih this marl, and the yield was ^cr €72/3/ 

 bushels per acre. 



He top-diessed a field of clover with it, the third year from the 

 seeding, and the product was heavier than the crop of the secc7\dyear. 

 This fiekl was dressed with ten loads of marl per acre. Mr. M.'s 

 corn is large twelve row yellow, and the stalks are about ten feet 

 high. The corn blades never curled during the late ih"ought, while 

 other fields all curled. Mr. M.'s corn was worked with the hand- 

 harrow once, with the cultivator twice, and was hoed twice, no 

 ploughing between the hills. Mr. M. thinks that in dry weather, it^ 

 is very injurious to run the plough through, for it cuts the smaller 

 roots of the corn. Mr. M. has tried tw^enty-five bushels of hickory 

 ashes against twenty-five of anthracite coal ashes, and found no per- 

 ceptible difference in the result. 



The general effect of this red marl is perceptible in almost every 

 plant and tree in that vicinity. Fruit trees are especially vigorous 

 and free from disease. Flowering shrubs, roses particularly, seem 

 not to have been touched by any insect. 



I pulled up a mullin stalk growing on a naked mound of this marl, 

 which measured nine feet in height, and the flower stem, which is 

 covered with buds, is four feet in extent. The trees, excepting peach 

 alone, are more thriving than those I have any where seer.. The 

 peach trees have the yellows. 



Moss roses growing in rich grass are remarkably strong. PJr. M. 

 finds that they do better closely surrounded by grass, than on clear 

 ground. 



He has ten kinds of healthy cherry trees, including the red and 

 white ox-heart, and the bull's-eye. He has freely given, and wishes 

 to distribute buds and grafts to all those who ask for them. 



Mr. M. has very healthy apricots, which have .yielded fine fruit. 

 He smoked the hlossoms with sulphur and pitch, and all the fruit was 

 perfect. This smokijig was done in the evening. 



Some of Mr. M's fields had never been but partially cultivated, on 

 account of being so swamped that cattle mired in them. He made 

 in one four acre field a drain ten rods long and three feet deep, filled 

 in with coarse stone. This drain formed a perpetual sprhig for his 

 cattle; and this barren field has now buckwheat of at least thirty 

 bushels to the acre: one and a half bushels of seed were sowed per 

 acre, no manure needed. This drain cost $1.75. Twelve acres 

 were drained in the same style, at a cost of $150. This field is now 

 fine, and asks for no manure from New-York or Nyack marl. He 

 prefers the same amount of marl to best New-York city manure for 

 all grains and grasses. 



Mr. M. has the old English yew thriving in open air in winter; 



