416 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



(6.) All the nuiils sent to us from South 

 Carolina for examination were very rich ; and in 

 chemical consiilution and texture might be deem- 

 ed rather a soil lime-stone or impure chalk, than 

 marl, such as is common in lower Virginia. The 

 last sentence above sliows that exposure to Irost 

 will serve to reduce the lumps, so that the great 

 cost of burning to quick-lime may be avoided ; 

 and there is no use in burning, except to reduce 

 the earth or stone to powder. — Ed. F. R. 



(c.) This expression covers too much ground. 

 It should be limiled, first, to the marled lands, as 

 clover will not grow except where calcareous 

 matter, in quantity sufficient for the purpose, has 

 been given, either by the bounty of nature, or by 

 the industry of man. But further, many persons 

 have marled who sow clover to but little extent, 

 notwithstanding its known value alter marling ; 

 and thus lliey lose half the benefit to be derived 

 from this mode of improvement. If the writer 

 of the loregoing article, or even any of his most 

 incredulous countrymen, were to visit the marled 

 lands of lower Virginia, all would be fully con- 

 vinced of the great profit of the fullest extension 

 of the same practice at home. But we are sorry 

 to have to confess, that they would also see, and 

 in the greater number of cases, abundant eviden- 

 ces of neglect to draw lull benefit from this great 

 source of riches. 



if the legislature of South Carolina, or the 

 different agricultural societies of that state, would 

 depute a dozen of the intelligent planters of their 

 marl region to visit some of the most judiciously 

 marled lands in Virginia, and to report thereupon, 

 we venture to assert that such visit's and reports 

 would produce many thousands of dollars of net 

 ])rofit in the course of a few years. The later 

 and permanent annual profits of South Carolina, 

 from this source, and which will and must be 

 secured at some future lime, should be estimated 

 not by thousands, but in ?u(7/(ans. — Kd. F. 11. 



(d) The effect of calcareous manure, in neu- 

 tralizing the poisonous acid of soil is imme- 

 «liatc, and most manifest and striking, and the 

 lirst that aflbrds profit. But a far more import- 

 ant operation of calcareous manure, "though later, 

 i^lower and more gradual, is that by which it com- 

 bines with and fixes vegetable manure, and pro- 

 ductiveness, in the soil, and to which effect there 

 is no limit short of the greatest possible degree 

 of productive power of the best lands under the 

 same climate, exposure, &.c.—Eo. F. R. 



(e.) We have ibuud no magnesia in such 

 specimens of South Carolina marl as wo have 

 cxamiued lor that purposC; and much question the 



existence of magnesia, in quantity worth con 

 sidcration, if at all, in any of these marls. Dr 

 Joseph .Johnson, of t-harlcston, was the first per- 

 son who announced what was to us a novel and 

 remarkable lact, that magnesia existed, and in 

 large proportions in many of these marls. Wo 

 sought for it in vain, in such specimens as were 

 wiihin our reach. Afterwards we learned from 

 Dr. Johnson that he had been mistaken in that 

 respect, by some error in his mode of analysis. — 

 Ei). F. R. 



(f.) Wood ashes Caller being deprived of their 

 potash, which is itself a valuable manure) consist 

 principally of carbonate of lime and of phosphate 

 of lime. The former is precisely the same as 

 the main and (usually) only valuable ingredient 

 of marl, but in a minulely divided, and therefore 

 much more immediately active state. The phos- 

 phate of lime is what forms the earthy or solid 

 material of bones — the great value of which as 

 manure is well known to all well informed agri- 

 cukurisls. Therefore it is plain enough why 

 ashes, .whether leached or not, should act admira- 

 bly well as manure on lands deficient in alkaline 

 ingredients, and in (erlility. — Ed. F. R. 



TIIK PORK BUSINESS AT CINCINNATI. 



From the Cultivator. 



During the past season 150,000 hogs have 

 been cut up here, averaging 210 lbs., making 

 31,500,000 lbs. pork ; employing m this and the 

 branches of packing, smoking, &c., 1'220 hands, 

 and a large capital. The season of '38 and '9 

 was still larirer, 210,000 head were (hen cut up, 

 averaging 175 lbs. Pork then bore a high price, 

 and the larmers were more eager to get it to 

 market than at present, when it sells so low. I 

 will now state the capacity of one house for this 

 business. '25,000 hogs have been cut up in asinjijic 

 season, 1500 of which can be done in one day, 

 with fifty hands, averaging 200 lbs. wl.— 800,000 

 lbs. can be smoked at one time, or 4,000,000 lbs. 

 in a single season. The season lor killing and 

 packing is short, only about ten weeks. 



As to the color of hogs, ihe packers are totally 

 •indifierenl to it, a black or a spotted, a blue oi 

 white is all alike to ihcm, nor does it make any 

 dill'erence with the purchaser or consumer. I 

 hope, tlierelbre, to hear no more objections to the 

 color ol' Bcrkshires; it is never thought of hero 

 at the west. Now to the weight, and upon this 

 point I was very minute and particular. If the 

 side pork is reasonably thick, say four or five 

 inches, ihcy do not wish the animal to weigh over 

 250 to 300 lbs., for with such hogs Ihe shoulders 

 and hains are small and tender, easllij saturated 

 with salt and smoked, and bring the highest mar 

 ket prices. Indeed, the best prices that they letch 

 is in the Viruinia market, and then llicy only 

 want u :^U0 lb, hog. Auimab that weigh 150 '^ 



