246 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 4 



quick-lime, it may be used without hazard as a 

 top-dressing. It also occasions heavy tillage crops; 

 and if the land be not over-cropped betbre it is re- 

 turned to pasture, the turf is f)und to be closer, 

 more plentiful, and sweeter than before; but on 

 cold damp soils, which have been heavily worked, 

 <he crops of grain have proved later, and the corn 

 lighter than on land which has been limed.* 



3Iarl pits. 



The common mode of searching for this, and 

 every other kind of marl, is, by the boring-irons 

 used in seeking coal, and other mineral substances. 

 It may, however, be easily effected by any farmer 

 who has reason to suspect its existence on his own 

 land, by using a long pole, furnished with an iron au- 

 ger fixed at its end; but if tliis does not reach the 

 marl within about twenty fiiet below the surface, 

 the sinking of pits, unless the quality be very su- 

 perior, will seldom be found to answer the purpose. 

 The pit is usually opened by digging a ditch of 

 four to six feet broad, by twelve to twenty long, 

 the surface earth being generally thrown on one 

 tside, and of the sub-soil, or virgin earth, on the 

 other. The marl is then extracted in square pieces 

 with a small cutting spade, either to its full depth, 

 or to that to which it Clan be taken without danger; 

 for care must be observed in preventing it fi'om 

 falling in, by which serious accidents have very 

 ii-equenfly happened. The pit is then either so 

 fiir filled up as it will allow, with the clay rubbish, 

 or other earth of the sub-soil, covered by that of 

 the surface; and if it be not of great depth, it may, 

 with a little attention, be easily brought to a level 

 with the rest of the field: if not, it is in other 

 places formed into ponds; but in that case, or if 

 left in open pits, the precaution should be ob- 

 eervcd, of either fencing them round, or sloping 

 their sides, so as to guard against accidents. 



In those places where marling is regularly car- 

 ried on throughout the year, it is generally man- 

 aged by persons who make it their sole business; 

 but when the farmer's teams must be employed, 

 it can be only done from .the latter part of autumn 

 until the commencement of the spring sowing, or 

 during the intervals of other work, though it may 

 be carted upon the land at all times which may be 

 found convenient. The expense depends upon a 

 great variety of circumstances, but chiefiy upon 

 the depth from which the marl is dug, and the 

 distance to which it is to be carried. The nature 

 of the surface-soil, and the charge of removing it 

 — the tenacity of the marl, and the quantity of 

 water with which it may be covered— all vary ac- 

 cording to the locality: then the carriafje, particu- 

 larly of clay-marl, is so heavy, that unless it can 

 be found nearly adjoining the fi^irm, it will rarely 

 pay the cost of removal; for the work is so severe 

 that, even in the slack time of winter, the cattle 

 will require better food than is usual at that sea- 

 son, and the wear and tear is also considerable. 

 All weighty considerations, which, Avhcn com- 

 pared with the tenure of the land, deserve ma- 

 ture consideration before the improvement be at- 

 tempted.! 



* Reports of Roxbur 

 407. 



ishire, p. 135. Forfarshire, p. 



t The price of good marl, when raised by contrac- 

 tors, is charged at such various prices in dill'erent I 



Tenants should, therefore, be cautious how 

 they undertake it, unless backed either by the se- 

 curity of a long lease, or by entire confidence in 

 the estimation of their landlord; for a very con- 

 siderable period may elapse before it incorporates 

 with the soil, and, consequently, before any bene- 

 fit can be received from it. Of which, that able 

 farmer Mr. Macro, of Sufiblk, gives an instance, 

 in 120 square yards having been laid upon some 

 very poor soil at an expense that would have pur- 

 chased the fee simple of the land; yet no visible 

 improvement was effected in cornparison with 

 other ground which had not been marled, until 

 very long afterwards, but then it evidently obtain- 

 ed an advantage, which it maintained altera lapse 

 of twenty years. f. 



[To be continued.] 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 LAMPAS OF HORSES. 



As the season of the year is now approaching, 

 when some people commence one of the most cru- 

 el and barbarous practices ever retained by any 

 people, pretending to be civilized — viz: that, of 

 burning out the lanq:)as from the mouths of young 

 horses, we cannot refrain from making a few re- 

 marks upon that subject. 



We are sensible, that some of our most enlight- 

 ened readers, will say that this article should ap- 

 pear under the head of vulgar errors; but yet we 

 have what we consider a reasonable excuse tor not 

 putting it there. Most of the articles which have 

 been placed under that head, in our paper, are ra- 

 ther innocent delusions, than partaking of the bar- 

 barous; rather superstitious rites and ceremonies, 

 appertaining to property, than any retained usages 

 of the dark ages of barbarity. At what time or 

 with what people this practice originated, we will 

 not pretend to say; but there is one nation, who 

 should either discontinue the practice, or else say 

 less of the general diffusion of useful informationj 

 that is America. 



The idea that the enlargement of that part of 

 the roof of a horse's mouth, is a disease, has long 

 been exploded by all veterinary surgeons. All 

 horses are subject to it, between the ages of three 



places, that we should probably mislead some of our 

 readers if we were to state them. It is computed at 

 separate sums for groundage, digging, and spreading 

 upon the land; but independent of tlie cost of carriage, 

 which is to ba added. We may, however, observe 

 that, when taken from tlie wastes or commons, it is the 

 practice of some landlords to charge 5s. an acre for the 

 land marled; others 2d. per farm-horse load; and in 

 some parts of the nortli the expense has been thus cal- 

 culated: paring the marl, say of 3 feet of superficial 

 soil, 12s. per cubic rood of 64 yards; getting and fill- 

 ing the marl, 12s.; loading it, supposing the pit to be 

 at the distance of 100 or 150 yards, 21s.; and spread- 

 ing, 4s. per rood. — Chesliire Report, p. 223; Steven- 

 son's Lancashire, p. 496. In Hampshire, the total 

 charge of marling, when done by the farmer's men 

 and teams, at an average distance of 80 rods from the 

 pit, is stated at £3 10s. per acre, presuming the quan- 

 ty laid on to be 30 cartdoads of lA ton each; that is, 

 taking cammon laborers at 2s., and fiorses. including 

 wear and tear, at 4s. per day. — Vancouver's Hants, p. 

 337. 



\ Annals of Agi'iculturc,vol. i. p. 286. 



