0.5. 



Utility of Shell-Marl 



165 



th oats and clover-seed ; the oats were 

 tter in proportion than the corn — the effects 

 the marl beginnins^ to be greater; while 

 » effects on the grass were still plainer; — 

 i wherever the red clover was not regu- 

 ly sown, (for in some places the seed did 

 t meet,) in all such places the land would 

 coated thickly with white clover. We had 

 3n once over the place with marling and 

 ing, as I have mentioned, and last winter 

 ommenced marling it over with the second 

 ;ssing, on a clover sod, at the rate of three 

 ndred and fifty bushels per acre. The land 

 ad in corn this year, was a clover sod with 

 ! second coat of marl. This piece of ground 

 s the very poorest of the farm, in the first 

 tance ; but the result is, (for we have just 

 ished husking it,) from forty to forty-six 

 jhels of corn per acre, and that too, of as 

 3d and sound a quality as any of our best 

 id in the neighbourhood, such as has been 

 :ler a high state of improvement for the 

 t twelve years, with stone-lime and barn- 

 ■d manure. In order that I might come to 

 ne accuracy as to the quantity of corn, I 

 asured one acre, and measured the corn 

 — the result was, forty-six bushels; other 

 es could have been selected which would 

 /e gone to fifty bushels, and probably 

 re. 



rhe second year after I commenced farm- 

 • where I now reside, I made an experiment, 

 top-dressing with marl the yard in front of 

 house, wiiich was at that time a clover 

 . The result is surprisingly great; so 

 t I challenge a competition with any other 

 d of manure of equal expense. It is now 

 lut five years and six months since the 

 rl was put on ; the yard was all marled 

 rr, except about thirty feet square; on the 

 t which was marled, the clover thickened 

 and the green grass soon began to make 

 appearance; and at this time it is quite 

 ik-set with green grass. The part which 

 s not marled has no green grass, and the 

 mtity of clover has decreased ; there is at 

 St more than four times the quantity of 

 ss on one than on the other. The marl 

 the yard was brought from my marl-farm, 

 lUt three miles distant ; but, about three 

 irs ago, and after much research, I disco- 

 ed marl on my farm where I now reside. 

 ' observations from its eflfects, prove it 

 lal to the first marl. A part of a field 

 ich I mowed the present year, was marled 

 ) years ago last spring — the balance of the 

 d being covered over with barn-yard ma- 

 •e, at the same time. The whole field was 

 n put in corn, and the next spring sowed 

 ;h oats and clover-seed, and this year it 

 s mown : the difference in the grass in 

 our of the marl over the manure, was in 

 ! ratio of three to one. This appears large, 



but if it should be doubted, I can produce 

 testimony to confirm all I say; or I will here 

 give a cordial invitation to any person to come 

 and see for theniselves. I could say much 

 more about the effects of this species of ma- 

 nure, by noting the results of various experi- 

 ments, made by many of my neighbours, who 

 have been making free use of it. 



Thus, you will perceive, that this land on 

 the marl-farm has been redeemed from an 

 extreme state of poverty; and with no other 

 kind of manure than the shell-marl, has been 

 brought to produce forty-six bushels of corn 

 per acre, in the short space of four years. — 

 Now, I do not intend to let it rest at this: 

 the marl must go on the land faster than 

 ever, and my course in future will be, to top- 

 dress heavily on young clover; and I see 

 nothing to prevent me from bringing this 

 land up to yield the largest of crops, so soon 

 as I can get it covered over with the third 

 and fourth dressings; and this I do not intend 

 shall be a very distant day. One great and 

 important quality in the character of this 

 marl is, that the first dressing will not be 

 done giving out its strength or renovation to 

 the soil, under six or eight years, while every 

 subsequent dressing will have the same ef- 

 fect; and when the land is once made rich 

 by it, it will remain stationary at that degree 

 for twenty years. I consider the marl on this 

 farm almost as convenient to it as the manure 

 made in the cattle-yard, for we can drive the 

 team into the pit, and load half the marl from 

 the bank, without previously excavating it. 



I have here only spoken of the value of 

 our inexhaustible resources for manure — of 

 the other and many advantages which nature 

 has blessed our section of country with, I 

 need say nothing, as you have favoured us 

 with a visit, and have seen for yourself. But 

 I would take the opportunity to say to your 

 correspondent, G. M., who says in the last 

 number of your valuable paper, that he is 

 somewhat desirous of quitting the mercantile 

 business, and becoming a farmer, before he 

 purchases elsewhere, I wish him to come and 

 see this part of Delaware; we have plenty 

 of room, and should he deem it advisable to 

 visit our neighbourhood, what feeble infor- 

 mation I can give him, he shall be wel- 

 come to. 



Yours, respectfully, 



Philip Reybold, Jr. 



Fair Mount Farm, near ) 

 St. George's.— Nov. 30, 1841. j 



Pumpkin- Seed Oil. — The Germans, on 

 the Wabash, make oil from pumpkin seeds, 

 which they use for the purposes of lamp and 

 other oil. One gallon of seed gives about 

 half a gallon of oil. They may be pressed 

 like ffax or rape seed. 



