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Some account of the green-sand earth in N. J. Vol. VIL 



have been the circumstances generally of 

 all the lands I saw in this county, except 

 those near to the town of Salem, which are 

 quite level and very rich, now as well as 

 naturally. The largest landed property of 

 D. M. Davis, lies in Pittsgrove township, 

 and may serve as a sample of the former 

 general condition, and the more recent 

 changes. I will, therefore, state what I 

 learned of this particular property. Twenty 

 years ago, and for some years after, this land 

 rented tor $100 a year; and after consider- 

 able improvement, and as late as seven years 

 ago, the rent was only $300. There were 

 formerly, about 200 acres of arable land, 

 regularly cultivated in turn, and reduced to 

 the lowest state of exhaustion. Since, 125 

 acres more have been brought into cultiva- 

 tion, and 20 acres more added to the farm 

 by purchase, at $5 the acre — which here is 

 held to be as low a price, and indicating as 

 worthless land, as $1 the acre would in 

 lower Virginia. Mr. Davis's occupancy and 

 the improvement by green-sand earth, began 

 ten years ago, and for the last seven years 

 the land has been in the hands of two ten- 

 ants, on leases of five years. The tenants 

 were bound by contract, to apply a certain 

 amount of green-sand ; but the obligation 

 was superfluous, as they apply much more 

 than their obligation requires. The tenant 

 of the larger of the two farms, was bound 

 to apply 500 loads during his first lease. 

 Before two years had passed he had applied 

 1000 loads, expecting to be amply repaid in 

 the three next years of his occupancy. The 

 supply is from Woodstown, and the distance 

 five miles. The annual rent now paid on 

 the two farms of about 345 acres, is $1,125, 

 and the value of the land annually increas- 

 ing. The proprietor furnishes rails, or ma- 

 terials for fencing. But the tenants are not 

 even supplied with fuel from the land, but 

 purchase it elsewhere. I walked through 

 these farms, and the appearance of the crops, 

 and especially of the clover and pasture 

 lands, and of the heavy bullocks fatted by 

 grazing thereupon, for market, served as 

 abundant confirmation of all that was told 

 me of the productiveness. 



In company with Mr. Davis, and upon his 

 suggestion, I visited still another and more 

 remarkable scene of agricultural improve- 

 ment. He had told me that there were to 

 be seen on the land occupied by Mr. William 

 Reeve, some of the best evidences of good 

 farming and successful improvements by, or 

 in connexion with, the use of green-sand 

 earth. This farm lies adjoining the village 

 of Allowaystown, and consists now of 200 

 acres of farming land, or the entire extent 

 of fields for tillage and grass. The surface 



is more undulating than usual, but not too 

 uneven or hilly. The soil of the farm (as 

 of its neighbourhood generally,) is stiffer 

 than any other part of the county before 

 seen, being a pale yellow clay, which is stiff 

 enough to be difficult to till, and to form 

 cracks in the surface in dry weather. By 

 the way, it may not be amiss to mention that 

 I saw no sign of red clay soil or subsoil, on 

 my whole route in New Jersey. The pre- 

 sent growth of the farm, which is mostly 

 clover, shows everywhere within the gene- 

 ral enclosure, high productiveness and beau- 

 tiful farming condition. Yet a part without 

 the enclosure, seemed to be a specimen of 

 as barren and worthless land as I ever saw, 

 that was capable of producing any vegeta- 

 tion. It had formerly been cultivated and 

 worn out, and had long been left out of til- 

 lage. It had a few scattering bushes, and a 

 general, but thin and low growth of broom 

 sedge. Cinque-foil and mouse-ear were also 

 plenty, all these plants being deemed the 

 strongest evidences of barren land. Some 

 spots could not even bear either of these — 

 but its otherwise bare surface was covered 

 with a thin and hard grey crust, which 

 seems to have no life, but which in fact is a 

 kind of moss, indicative of next to absolute 

 sterility. These several marks reached 

 generally to the very fence, and when on 

 the other side, and but a few inches distant, 

 clover and other growths of fertile ground 

 showed clearly that the hand of the farmer, 

 and that but recently, had caused this strik- 

 ing difference of condition. Thirty acres 

 here had been bought for $4.50 the acre. 

 Such as is this outer and waste land, Mr. 

 Reeve assured me was the condition of much 

 the greater part of the farm ten years ago, 

 when the estate was purchased and the im- 

 provement of the land was first begun. 

 Some of it indeed, was much worse. For 

 all the steeper declivities, such as were 

 pointed out to me, then green with thickly 

 set clover and other grasses, were formerly 

 naked galls. 



The first year of their farming, 1833, the 

 whole land was first under one general en- 

 closure, and all the grass was mowed that 

 could be possibly obtained, as hay was the 

 most important object. The whole product 

 was five tons only. In reply to some of the 

 jocular taunts and predictions of their neigh- 

 bours, Mr. Reeve stated that he would dou- 

 ble the first year's product of hay every 

 year, until the amount reached 100 tons 

 from a single mowing. In seven years, the 

 crop amounted to 225 tons, besides the then 

 keeping a fine stock of grazing cattle, and 

 the regular tillage of grain crops. 



The earliest operations of tillage and im- 



