1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



411 



particles in stone lime which renders it in freneral 

 coarser than the lime obtained Trom shells, maj' 

 better fit it as a mechanical amendment to certain 

 soils, the difference is at most as one to three, ac- 

 cording to the datum upon which its superiority is 

 predicated ; namely, that in the preparation ol 

 mortar, stone lime will bear three times as much 

 sand as shell lime. But even in this respect the 

 conclusion is not warranted, except perhaps in 

 the case of a purely sandy soil, in which lime 

 alone would, it is believed, prove of lillle ser- 

 vice." 



The discover}' of prreen sand forms an impor- 

 tant epoch in the a;rricultural history of the state, 

 on ajifounl of its value as a manure; and a con- 

 siderable space is devoted to its consideration. 

 The author combats the opinion expressed in the 

 Farmers' Register, that the fertilizing properties 

 oC this marl, are due to the sulphate of lime which 

 it contains, and attributes them, with much rea- 

 son, to the potassa found by analysis to exist in it, 

 adopting thus, the conclusion ol' Prof. H. D. Ro- 

 gers, in regard to the Jersey green sand. The 

 geologist's account of this inleresiiiig Ibrmation, as 

 well as that of the micaceous black sand associated 

 with it, will well reward a careful perusal. 



The greater portion of the report is occupied 

 with an examination of the three lower counties 

 of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but there is a 

 chapter containing a "Geological Examination of 

 St. Mary's county, in reference to its agricultural 

 resources"— and a number of localities of shell 

 marl or fbssiliferous depositcs are pointed out 

 which may be made available. The gypseous clay 

 mentioned in the first report, is also alluded to as 

 doubtlessly affording a valuable agricultural re- 

 source. In addition to the marl, St. Mary's c-oun- 

 ty also possesses the Indian Shell Banks, already 

 referred to as existing in the Eastern Shore coun- 

 ties. 



Under the title "Progress of the Geological 

 Survey of the State" the geologist, gives a delud- 

 ed account of the extent of country visited by him 

 during his tour of duty. Twelve of the nineteen 

 counties of the state have been visited, and six of 

 them, it is said, thoroughly examined so far as 

 the purposes of the survey appear to re(|uire. 



It is believed that this brief slcelch of the con- 

 tents of the report, will suffice to justify the asser- 

 tion made at the conmiencement of this notice, 

 that the industry, skill, and scientific attainments 

 of the gentlemen eniployed by the state of Mary- 

 land, are such as eminently qualify them to exe- 

 cute the task which they have undertaken. And 

 should the citizens of that state duly appreciate 

 and employlhe resources at their command, pros- 

 perity and wealth will abound in situations where 

 the soil has been hitherto deemetl as of biu little 

 value ; the same rich treasures being within their 

 reach which were so long unknown in the state of 

 New Jersey, and which, since their value has 

 been known, has caused the wilderness to blos- 

 som as the rose. 



It appears from information Avhich may be re- 

 lied on, that the able manner in which Prof Du- 

 catel has discharojed his duty, and the judicious 

 construction which he has placed upon the inten- 

 tions of the legislature, have already much more 

 than repaid the expenses which have or will at- 

 tend the examination. Lands have risen in value, 

 new products are beginning to be obtained from 



the soil, and instead of exhausting its fertility by 

 continued cultivation, without the attempt at re- 

 newing it, the means pointed out have been re- 

 sorted to, by which it may regain its original vig- 

 or, and even the "old fields" again become laden 

 with harvests. From present indications, it ap- 

 pears almost certain that the splendid schemes of 

 Internal I(nprovcments, now projected by the state 

 of Maryland, will be carried into operation at a 

 very early day, thus affording the means of com- 

 n)unication throughout the larger portion of her 

 ierriiory. The fruits of the husbandman's labor, 

 and the mineral treasures fi'om the mines, with 

 which she appears to be liberally supplied, will 

 iluis find a ready market. And we may fairly 

 hope that when the blessings which must result 

 li-om such improvements are fully experienced, it 

 will not be fbrgott«n that a large debt of gratitude 

 will be due to those branches of science, without 

 whose aid the hidden treasure would never have 

 been brought into view ; and that a flourishing 

 community will, in its turn, contribute liberally to 

 their further advancement. 



Trom the Farmers' Scries of the Library of Useful Know- 

 ledge. 



GREKN CROPS FOR MANURE. 



Green manures consist in full crops of succu- 

 lent [)lan1s^such as buck wheat, rape, tares, and 

 many others — which are ploughed into the land, 

 and have been apjilied in many instances with 

 very singular advantage, more especially on cal- 

 careous, gravelly, and sandy soils, the fertility of 

 which has been thus greatly improved. The 

 practice dates as far back as the time of the an- 

 cient Romans, and is still continued throughout 

 Italy, even in places where the dung of animals 

 can be procured in abundance. The climate of 

 that country is, however, more favorable than 

 ours to the system, for the corn harvests are so 

 much earlier, that they are off the uround in time 

 for succeeding green crops to arrive at full maturi- 

 ty ; and it is there thought that nothing tends 

 more to the improvement of the land than plough- 

 ing them down.* It has indeed been held by 

 many intelligent men who support an opposite 

 opinion, that the land which produces these crops 

 will be deprived of their vegetative properties in 

 proportion to their luxuriancy; and, therefore, 

 that, by returning the crop into the same land, its 

 fertility only be increased in the same degree as it 

 was reduced by their reduction. This theory, how- 



* In Tuscany, the pkmt wliicli is cliietly sown for 

 this purpose is the white lupin, a leguminous annual 

 plant well known in our gardens, which grows in 

 sandy and loamy soil, to the height of two or three 

 feet, with a stem of equal strength with the bean, 

 and bearing somewhat similar blossoms and pods ; but 

 the produce is so bitter that it is unfit for the noui ish- 

 ment of eitlier man or beast, until prepared by some 

 uianufacturing process. It arrives to a considerable 

 size in the month of October, when it is ploughed into 

 the soil ; and very extraordinary fertilizing properties 

 are attributed to its effects, which are ascribed to the 

 great quantity of gluten which it is known to contain. 

 Whether it might be brought in this country to a suf- 

 ficient degree of maturity for that purpose, as a field 

 crop, we have no means of judging; but it maybe 

 worth the experiment. — Simonde, Tabkuv de VJlgrt- 

 culfare Toscane, p. 72. 



