426 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 7 



Eart of the clover was left unplastered, and exhi- 

 its no inferiority to that which had gypsum ap- 

 plied at the rate of 1 bushel per acre. 



The expense atfendinfr ihcse experiments was 

 considerable in point oi" labor — at least dnub!in<j 

 the expenses of corn plantinu — and in this case, 

 without any remunerating results: notwithstand- 

 ing which, I am still of opinion, tliat on soils not 

 calcareous either naturally or artificially, tliis mode 

 of applying ashes would be attended with highly 

 beneficial results, as experience has proved that 

 sulphate of lime is inert on soils that are not cal- 

 careous. 



N. L. 



For the farmers' Register. 

 FRAGMENTS OF MY MEMORAKDOM BOOK. 



[Continued from No. 5.] 



January 6th, 1833. At two farms of SI r. G , 



on Chiclcahomony Swamp, and his residence on 

 the Brook, within Henrico, and about 6 miles from 

 Richmond. On Mr. G.'s land, and in that neigh- 

 borhood generally (from 1 to 3 miles of the granite 

 ridge) there is Ibumi an abundance of fossil shells, 

 and their remains, in a form and appearance dif- 

 fenng from all that I have seen. In most of the 

 ravines may be s-^en a wet blucish clay, which con- 

 tains no shells, and no calcareous matter— but is 

 full of the hollow forms or moulds of shells which 

 have disappeared. In this respect, this day is like 

 the gypseous earth which I have found (and else- 

 where described) in Prince George — and from 

 JVlr. G.'s description of this, presented to me 

 though the Enquirer, I at first thought it to be 

 also gypseous earth. But if it is so, it must have 

 lost all or nearly all the gypsum into which the 

 shells were changed, as is the case generally in our 

 gypseous earth on James River — and this loss 

 seems inevital)le in the Henrico earth, as it is al- 

 ways found wet. This earth after being dug, and 

 exposed a day or so to the air, gives out a strong 

 and offensive sulphureous odor — which is not the 

 case with our gypseous earth, but is (in some de- 

 gree) with the marl of Dr. W. Cocke, on Black- 

 water, in Sussex. Wherever Mr. G. has dug 

 through this earth he finds that it changes to marl, 

 or in other words, the shells are found instead of 

 their empty places. The first shells found where 

 the change takes place, are more or less colored 

 brown, like rusty iron. Judging by my eyes only, 

 I should think this marl poor in calcareous matter, 

 the only ingredient that I have much experience 

 of, or have found of much value: but it may be 

 that the sulphur, or sulphuret of iron which is also 

 here present, may increase the value of the ma- 

 nure. None has yet been used for manure, nor 

 has a sufficient depth been dug, to furnish fair sam- 

 ples of the body. No attention was paid to the 

 existence of marl in this part of the country until 

 very lately: but though none has been tried, it has 

 already served to raise the price of land. 



Chickahomony Swamp here first came undermy 

 observation. Its growth of timber shows that it 

 never has been exposed so much to inundation as 

 Blackwater: though both these, and many other 

 swam|)R in Lower Vrginia ai^ree in the general 

 characters of being remarkably flat, and subject to 

 frequent and long inundation, for want of sufficient 



passage way for the water. They also agree in 

 the ease and cheapness with which they might be 

 drained by opening ihe main passage throughout — 

 the vast quantity of valualMe land that might be 

 thus reclaimed — and a'so in the strange neglect of 

 those interested, of this great profit which miffht 

 be thus obtained at a small expense. This neglect 

 is the more remarkable here, because a canal 24 

 feet wide has already been carried through the 

 swamp at this place, but which was not continued 

 to the open navigable water of Chickahomony. 

 This operation has furnished a practical proof of 

 the importance of continuing the work, not only 

 for profit, but to prevent increased evils to the low- 

 er proprietors. The water from the heavy rains, 

 being now unobstructed, passes dov/n the canal so 

 rapidly as to inundate the swamp lands below, 

 where the obstructions remain, much more than 

 formerly. Yet even this does not cause the canal 

 to be continued. Where I saw the canal, the wa- 

 ter passed with a velocity that would not have 

 been supposed by those who have only seen such 

 swamps, before any obstructions have been re- 

 moved. The depth is sufficient for navigation 

 in flat boats, though no use is made of it lor that 

 purpose. In dry seasons in summer, it is a mere 

 rivulet. I have often urged the general draining 

 of Blackwater Swamp, by a continued central 

 drain — and have thought that 10 feet width and 4 

 feet depth might suffice for that purpose, and that 

 the expense would not exceed 50 or 70 cents the 

 running yard. Here 24 feet is the widdi, and is not 

 too much: but the cost was far below my estimate, 

 having been contracted for at only 25 cents. The 

 cause of this remarkably cheap price was that the 

 canal was carried generally along the former 

 crooked course of the main body ol water, which 

 being often deep and wide enough for considera- 

 ble distances toirether, lessened the labor of dig- 

 ging — though by this plan the course is longer and 

 more crooked, and the draining less perfect than if 

 a new and more judicious line had been adopted. 

 So in Blackwater Swamp, the water in the main 

 passage is sometimes for hundreds of" yards to- 

 oether, deep enough for keel vessels, and then is 

 obstructed and scattered by a raft of fallen trees, 

 and the rubbish they have stopped. The reclaim- 

 ing of these swamps would lie as profitable, as it 

 is otherwise on the tide marshes. Yet the first 

 has no where been eflected (on a general or pro- 

 per plan) and the latter is continually attempted, 

 in spite of all previous failures. The cause of' the 

 difference is, that it requires the combined efforts of 

 numerous landholders to drain an extensive 

 swamp, and a single stupid or obstinate proprietor 

 may stop the whole work — and our still more stu- 

 pid laws, (which might be supposed t) be made 

 bv the enemies of agriculture,) afibrd no redress. 

 The land of a single minor, or lite owner, lying in 

 the route of the proposed canal, is sufficient to pre- 

 vent its being carried into effect. And this sacri- 

 fice of value, and other like consequences, are ow- 

 ing to the scrupulous care (so called) which our 

 law takes of the riixhts of property, and especially 

 of the property of willows and orphans! 



The timber of Chickahomony Swamp at this 

 place is generally of ash and gum, but is partly of 

 large willow-oak, which is of considerable value. 

 The soil is sometimes sandy, and sometimes a 

 cold stiff clay, neither of which is very rich for 

 swamp land.' But the mud soil, which forms the 



