1836] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



253 



hard marl, but which was sold and used as gypsum, 

 and which, in fact, was found to produce similar and 

 as remarkable effects as gypsum. In addition to the 

 piece as sent to us in manuscript, and as published, 

 this has another paragraph, which will be here inserted. 



"Mr. Moore's limestone formation is on a hill about 

 five miles north-east of this village. In digging his 

 well, the fust three feet was common soil; the next 

 three feet shelly, thin limestone, (this is a common 

 covering of beds of gypsum;) from six feet from the 

 top to twenty feet, which is as far as he has dug, it has 

 the appearance at a short distance, of blue clay; it is 

 brittle, and easily dug up with a pick, and consists of 

 fossils in vast abundance, which would seem to have 

 been interspersed originally with blue earth, which 

 became indurated, and finally limestone. Among the 

 specimens is a large piece of the blue clay limestone. 

 Almost precisely similar formations have been found 

 on several farms. I have never seen any thing similar 

 to it, but am not enough of a geologist to describe it 

 more minutely — one thing is certain, which seems to 

 comprise the main chance, it is equal to the best plaster 

 in its fertilizing qualities." 



We had entertained and expressed the hope, that 

 Professor Silliman would be able to dispel the mystery 

 in which this interesting discovery was enveloped. 

 But the strangeness of the facts does not seem to have 

 excited much attention, and there is nothing added by 

 the editor, except two short marginal notes — the first 

 of which merely states of the shells found in the earth, 

 that they are "chiefly iercbratula of great distinctness 

 and beauty" — and the other is in reference to the earth 

 being described as effervescing with acid, and is as 

 follows : — 



"Owing to a mixture of carbonate of lime with plas- 

 ter of Paris, it is not uncommon that the latter efferves- 

 ces. It is not difficult to decide which prevails. The 

 substance being pulverized and mixed with diluted mu- 

 riatic or nitric acid, will dissolve entirely, if it is a pure 

 carbonate of lime; if there is a residuum, it may be 

 plaster of Paris, or something else not soluble in the 

 acids. The specimen sent to us by our correspondent 

 was so treated, and indicated about half of carbonate 

 of lime, without plaster of Paris, but with a large clayey 

 residuum. — Ed." 



The only light thrown on the subject, by this note, 

 is, that the gentleman to whose observation the public 

 are indebted for this discovery and communication, 

 was right in his opinion, that the lime in this formation 

 was (not only principally, but) entirely, in the state of 

 carbonate, and not of sulphate of lime, or gypsum, as 

 supposed by others, and as its practical efiects would 

 seem to confirm. According to the constituent parts, 

 as reported in the note copied above, the earth is sim- 

 ply a calcareous clay marl — and not even uncommonly 

 rich as a marl. But there is no attempt to account for 

 the wonderful fact, that this substance, used in the very 

 small quantities usual with plaster, (say one bushel to 

 the acre,) should produce as great effects, and so as to 

 leave no doubt on the minds of those ignorant cultiva- 

 tors who judge merely from appearance, that this earth 

 is truly gypsum, and of good quality. Increased im- 

 portance is given to the subject by this expression of 

 Prof. Silliman's opinion — whether it is considered as 

 estabhshing the strange (and to us, incredible) fact, 

 that this high fertilizing power is caused simply by 

 carbonate of lime, and of course would be exerted by 



every calcareous marl similarly applied — or as other- 

 wise, by showing that no gypsum is contained, that 

 some other substance must be present, as yet undisco- 

 vered, which exercises the remarkable and peculiar 

 powers of gypsum. The subject still needs, and well 

 deserves, the most careful investigation by men of sci- 

 ence. To our understanding, the matter is now darker 

 than at first. With all the high opinions entertained 

 for carbonate of lime as a fertilizer, we have not the 

 slightest faith in its producing such effects as these — 

 and according to the analysis of Prof. Silliman, there 

 is not even the smallest ingredient of gypsum present, 

 to which, (belore his report, and without having seen 

 a specimen of the earth,) we had attributed the effects 

 produced by the application. We trust that the gen- 

 tleman who has commenced this investigation will per- 

 sue it, as he is well able to do, or to have done. What- 

 ever may be the results, they will scarcely fail to lead 

 to important agricultural profit, as well as knowledge. 



EXTRACTS FROai PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. 



Greene Co., yila., Jan. 7, 1836. 



I could say much of the value of your views on 

 soils and calcareous manures, especially in this 

 country, where poor sandy land is so indented by 

 the lime land, and where it is quite common to 

 find a single acre of prairie (always resting on the 

 rotten limestone, at a few feet below the surface,) 

 surrounded by those poor lands. These little 

 prairies are frequently found interspersed at inter- 

 vals of half a mile or a mile apart through these 

 poor tracts of country, destitute of lime. What a 

 field for judicious industry ! 



] did intend to communicate many facts re-, 

 spccting the black lands, but I find that you are as 

 well acquainted with them as I am, by means of 

 your correspondents who have anticipated all that 

 I could say upon this subject. 



Nashville, (^Tenn.,) May 20th, 1836. 



Though I have not yet perused completely your 

 work, I have learned already so much from it, as 

 to be convinced of its great utility for our agricul- 

 turists, and having lately travelled amongst them, 

 I have not neglected to recommend it to those 

 whom I found intelligent. I have particularly 

 been pleased with the improvements of' the farms 

 in East Tennessee since they have commenced to 

 use the plaster of Abingdon freely. I do not recol- 

 lect to have seen the plaster of that part of your 

 State mentioned in your works. It occurs near 

 the salt-works of General Preston and King, and 

 is of a better quality than any imported from Nova- 

 Scotia or France. I was astonished that it was 

 not in such general use in that part of Virginia 

 which borders on Tennessee, particularly in Pow- 

 ell's valley, where the soil seems so well adapted 

 to it. 



[In the first published No. of the Farmers' Register, 

 there was given a concise editorial notice of the purity 

 and value of the gypsum of the region of Virginia above 

 named, and other incidental references to it have since 

 been made in several other articles. Still, for a matter 

 so important to the wealth and improvement of Vir- 

 ginia and Tennessee, the subject has been much neg- 



