THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



23 



marl," until oC late year?. But whether it was 

 otherwise manured (of vvliicli, liovvever, I coulil 

 not hear any ihinr^ from neighboring gentlemen) 

 or not, it is certain that the whole piece (10 or 

 more acres) is now in a very productive state, 

 though said to have heen, lor the last 7 or 8 years, 

 under a perpetual succession ol'corn and oais, and 

 without manure at least during that time. It had 

 heen in corn this year; but as the whole crop, 

 Btalks included, had beer, removed, I could not 

 jud<:e as to the product. JMr. Fontaine had heard 

 that an acre wliich had been marked olF, and the 

 product measured at the time of" gathering, made 

 rather more than nine barrels (45 bushels) ofcorn. 

 These accounts are, however, all very uncertain — 

 and I would not record ihem, hut lor the (ear that 

 the Tacis may become still more uncertain by lap=e 

 ol" time. If this loose, and doubtless incorrect 

 statement, should meet the eye of any one better 

 inlbrmed, I hope he will furnish any necessary cor- 

 rections, so as to preserve the interesting facts of 

 this one of the largest and earliest experiments of 

 marling in Virginia. JMr. Richard Hill has long 

 removed from his former residence, and I know 

 not his present home, but care shall be used to 

 place this article in his hands, after its publication.* 



Marl is supplied most bountifully to this county, 

 so that numerous landholders own beds, and none 

 are lar removed I'rom some of good quality. It 

 was stated in the report of Pamunkey marl (page 

 679, vol. 8.) that all of that locality was green- 

 sand marl — and of the eocene kind, or more ancient 

 deposite. On the contrary, all of the high-lands 

 (or"lbrest'' as here distinguished) is simply cal- 

 careous marl, and such as I have been most con- 

 versant with in Prince George. That is, if it 

 contains any green-sand, or other fertilizing ingre- 

 dient other than the shelly matter, it is in too 

 small proportion (or its separate or additional effect 

 to be appreciated — and more than I even sus- 

 pected to exist, until very recently. 



Most of these marls are of the dingy light co- 

 lor which I have elsewhere called yellow, and 

 which I find that some call red. There is also 

 blue marl, of good quality, but which some per- 

 sons are afraid to use, because supposing it may 

 be injurious. This erroneous opinion is (bunded 

 on the i'aci that some spots of land have been 

 nianileslly and greatly injured in product by a 

 bluish clay, or '' blue fuller" as here called, and 

 which, from the slight examination which I gave 

 to two kinds only, and the report of effects found 

 elsewhere, I doubt not is entirely destitute of cal- 

 careous matter, and is also impregnated with sul- 

 phates, or alum, both of which are poisonous to 

 soil and plants ; and sometimes the presence of 

 tmcombined sulphur is manliest to the sense of 

 smelling. But as calcareous matter decomposes 

 both these sulphates, and with the acid element 

 forms a new manure, gypsum, (plaster of Paris,) 

 their continued existence is impossible in contact 

 with shelly matter. Therefore, if shelly or calca- 

 reous matter is present, the existence of any inju- 

 rious ingredient need not be feared ; and even the 

 acid and poisonous principles of the " blue fuller," 

 will be converted to a manure, if applied with 

 or after marl; though the cost would probably 



* The information desired from Mr. Hill was obtain- 

 ed sooner than was expected, and will here follow this 

 introductory article. 



exceed the benefit thus to be derived from the 

 clay. 



As in most other places, the people of this 

 county have been slow in availing ihemselvea 

 of the great advantages offered by their marl beds. 

 Still, every body who possesses marl has used it to 

 some extent, and some to great extent. The 

 trreat error, as usual elsewhere, with all but a (ew, 

 is that they do not employ a regular (brce at marl- 

 ing, throughout the year, but only work at it 

 when the teams and hands can be spared from 

 the regular (arming operations. Such transient 

 and irregular labors are always perlbrmed at 

 great disadvantage, even if the (armer's overseer 

 will permit any "leisure time" to be (bund for the 

 purpose. K, on the contrary, but one horse were 

 kept regularly hauling marl (rom the pit to the 

 field, where marl is as convenient as in many 

 parts of King William county, the first year's ma- 

 nuring with that small force alone would amount 

 to more than all that is done by a large farm force 

 in the usual irregular manner, and at uncertain 

 limes. And neither would the regular employment 

 of the small force preclude the using the irregu- 

 lar and large — but would make it twice as useful, 

 by making every thing ready for the employment 

 whenever a leisure lime occurred. Capt. Drury, 

 an energetic and good farmer, had but recently 

 discovered mail on his land ; and at the short lei- 

 sure lime of the remainder of the same season, 

 he marled as much as 70 acres for his next year's 

 cultivation. This was a great and praise-worthy 

 eff"orl, and he has been well rewarded (or it, in the 

 evident increased product and (ertility of the land. 

 But still, as he admitted to me, the injury to his 

 teams by this effort, and the mode of the unusual 

 employment, was greater than would have paid 

 (or the performance of the same amount of haul- 

 ing, by regular and steady work continued 

 throughout the year. 



Nov. 10th, 1840. 



Postscript. 

 The long delay of publication of the above remarks 

 (which were written early in November,) has ena- 

 bled me to accompany them by an answer from 

 Mr. Richard Hill, whose present residence I was 

 afterwards enabled to learn, and therefore to ad- 

 dress to him a letter of inquiry concerning his very 

 interesting, because very early, experiment of marl- 

 ing, in the case referred to above. It will be seen, 

 according to his statement, that my information, 

 gathered lately on the place, and in the neighbor- 

 hood, was, as supposed, far from being accurate. 

 Nevertheless, I leave my foregoing remarks pre- 

 cisely as at first written, subject to this later, as 

 well as to any other future correction. It should 

 be observed that Mr. Hill sold his land in 1822, 

 since when he knows nothing of it except from 

 loose report. But however great may be the un- 

 certainty in regard to various minor points of Mr. 

 Hill's marling, there is none as to the one main 

 point, that is to say, the continued and increased 

 beneficial effects o(" an application made as far 

 back as 25 years ago. Though his letter was not 

 written in reference to the general queries, and in- 

 deed does not bear on but a part of them, yet, be- 

 ing upon the oldest practice, it will be placed here 

 as first in order of the few reports of answers ob- 

 tained in regard to the marling of King William 

 county. 



