GREEN SAND. 



tf convert all the sulphuret of iron into sul- ' 

 pnate of lime ; for if this be not done, the sul- 1 

 pnate of iron; or copperas, will be formed, 

 wnich is known to be prejudicial to vegetation. 

 Tne quantity required for this purpose will 

 vary with the amount of sulphuret of iron: 

 wnere the efflorescence is light, one bushel of 

 hme to 100 of marl will be amply sufficient; 

 and where it is abundant, it may be necessary 

 to use two, three, or four to the 100 of marl. 

 If the green sand contain already a portion of 

 lime, a smaller quantity will be required. The 

 best method of applying it will be to remove 

 the marl from the pit to any convenient adjoin- 

 ing spor, to form a stratum not more than two 

 feet thick, and, after it has been exposed to the 

 air for two weeks or a month, to cover it over 

 with slaked lime. After exposure to one or 

 two rains, it may then be most thoroughly mixed 

 by passing a plough through it, or digging it 

 down with the spade. 



"In what manner and in what quantity 

 should the green sand be applied 1 All varie- 

 ties of the marl are more or less compact, when 

 freshly extracted from the pit, and if applied 

 in such a state, would be unequally distributed 

 over the soil; and hence the first precaution is 

 to suffer it to be exposed to the air for a few 

 days, according to its compactness or tenacity, 

 in order that it may crumble to powder, if pos- 

 sible: for the finer the pulverization, as shown 

 of lime, the greater will be the immediate be- 

 nefit. There is another advantage attending 

 this delay, that we may then observe the efflo- 

 rescence, and obviate its ill effects by lime. 

 Indeed, in a majority of cases, the addition of 

 lime in small quantity will prove serviceable, 

 since it is generally wanting in the pure green 

 varieties, and yet it is an important requisite 

 in the fixed constituents of vegetables. Th-- 

 most economical method of applying the marl 

 as above proposed, will be to cart it from the 

 pits immediately into the fields to which it is 

 to be applied, to throw it into heaps at conve- 

 nient distances for spreading, and then to put 

 a small quantity of lime on each heap, which 

 should remain exposed to the air for a longer 

 time. In regard to the quantity to be applied, 

 a variety of opinions exist; and hence from 

 60 to 1000 bushels per acre have been tried, 

 with and without success. A little attention 

 to the theory of its operation will enable us to 

 i >proximat to the true proportion. Its strong 

 t^es appear to act on the organic matter in 

 Lie soil, and to combine with it; hence it would 

 oe useless to apply a large quantity to a poor 

 and light soil, for which 60 to 100 bushels 

 would suffice; but a clayey soil would be ren- 

 dered looser by it; and as there is usually 

 more organic matter present in such a case, 

 from 100 to 200 may be employed with advan- 

 tage. Where the land is already of good qua- 

 lity, from 200 to 500 may be used, according 

 *o its richness and tenacity. Many persons 

 ^eve that because one kind of marl is infe- 

 .o another, a much larger quantity will be 

 rquired ; but the truth is, that the differences, 

 although important, are less so than is gene- 

 rally believed, and should not lead to the em- 

 ployment of quantities greater than have just 

 been enumerated. Notwithstanding the effects 

 75 



GREYHOUND. 



of marl will be shown to be striking on ordina- 

 ry, and even on very poor land, yet it is essen- 

 tial that the soil should contain a fair propor- 

 tion of organic matter, in order to reap the 

 highest benefit from it. Hence the failure of 

 some experiments made with the green sand; 

 for. although it stands superior to lime in re- 

 quiring the presence or addition of less organic 

 manure, still the views offered to explain its 

 mode of action show the necessity of some or- 

 ganic materials on which to operate, and this 

 conclusion is strengthened by experience. 



'The difficulty of overcoming prejudice is 

 clearly exemplified in the progressive employ- 

 ment of green sand in Delaware. One of the 

 first experiments made with it in St. George's 

 hundred may probably be dated as far back as 

 the year 1826, when a small quantity was 

 drawn out from the site of the canal. One 

 spot of ground where this was applied was 

 observed in 1837 on the farm of James Wilson, 

 eleven years after its application; and although 

 that soil had received no other assistance, a 

 luxuriant growth of corn clearly pointed out 

 the limit to which it had been spread." 



The cost of the green sand marl at the pits, 

 where these beds lie near the surface, is com- 

 paratively trifling, so that it can be raised and 

 hauled to the distance of a mile or two for 

 three cents per bushel, and yield a small pro- 

 fit. Its weight is very great, owing principally 

 to the large proportion of iron contained. Re- 

 ference to its specific gravity (2-63 2-70), as 

 determined by Professor Rogers, shows it to be 

 nearly three times heavier than the same bulk 

 of a measure of water, a bushel weighing from 

 110 to 120 Ibs. This, of course, causes its 

 transportation to be expensive, except where 

 facilities for water carriage are at hand. For 

 fields worn out by long culture, the green 

 sand is generally found of immediate and per- 

 manent advantage. Under such circumstances 

 every successive crop having removed from 

 the soil a portion of the potash which existed 

 in abundance in the first years of its culture, the 

 absence of this essential agent of fertility has 

 been supplied by the green sand. Where ashes 

 have been formerly applied freely, it is need- 

 less to expect much apparent benefit, and the 

 same may be said where the soil is already 

 duly supplied with potash from the decompo- 

 sition of feldspar, or mica, all of which contain 

 proportions of potash which they contribute to 

 the soil. Hence the source of frequent failures 

 in deriving advantage from the application, of 

 green sand. 



GREYHOUND. This is one of the principa. 

 coursing agents, being a dog remarkable for 

 his swiftness, strength, and sagacity, in pursu- 

 ing game. 



There are several varieties, such as the Ita, 

 lian, the Oriental, and the Highland greyhound i 

 the last of which is now become exceedingly 

 scarce. A good greyhound ought to have a 

 long and rather large body, a neat pointed 

 head, sparkling eyes, a long mouth, with sharp 

 teeth, small ears, formed of a thin cartilage; a 

 broad and strong chest; his fore legs straight 

 and short, his hind legs long and limJber; broad 

 shoulders, round ribs, muscular buttocks, but 

 j not fat, and a long tail, strong and full of ci 

 3 D 593 



