FARMERS' REGISTER— NEW-JERSEY MARL. 



671 



observations on the subject of agriculture (how- 

 ever imperfectly or hastily they may be written) 

 will be acceptable. w. h. roy. 



Green Plains, 3Iatthews Co. Dec. 30, 1833. 

 [The foregoing interesting and valuable communica- 

 tion was deficient in one particular, which we consider 

 has a most important bearing on the success and profit 

 of using putrescent manures, viz : the original state of 

 the soil, as to fertility or barrenness. An inquiry on 

 this head has brought the following postscript. The 

 last paragraph is part of a i^rivatc letter, and was not 

 intended for publication — but we have taken the liberty 

 to add it, as furnishing facts and ojDinions properly be- 

 longing to the main communication. We are very far 

 from claiming any deference to om- individual opinions 

 on questionable points in agriculture, and it will always 

 agree with our wishes, no less than our editorial duty, 

 to publish as readily those views which conflict with, or 

 may overthrow our own, as if they were in full accord- 

 ance. 



Mr. Lewis B. Wiatt is the overseer who has so long 

 been in the service of Mr. Roy. This is not the first 

 time, nor through the only channel, that we have heard 

 his merit referred to : but the mere fact that he has for 

 so long a time, continued in the service of one employer, 

 and continued to possess his confidence and approbation, 

 are enough to prove that such a man is an honor to his 

 profession.] 



Green Plains, Jan. 17, 1834. 

 I am aware, that these statements appear to con- 

 tradict the opinion expressed in your late Essay 

 on Calcareous Manures, that land originally poor, 

 cannot be materially or permanently improved, by 

 the use of putrescent manures, unless aided by 

 lime or marl — but I give you the results of my ex- 

 perience, without pretending to assert what the 

 fertility of the soil might have been, at a period so 

 remote, as to be beyond the memory of my oldest 

 neighbors. 1 only know, that it was proverbially 

 poor, when purchased by my father, and judging 

 of the peculiar properties of the soil, by the por- 

 tion of land cleared by my father and myself, (as 

 we supposed for the first time,) and by the appear- 

 ance of that part which is still uncleared, 1 

 should suppose that at least a large portion of the 

 farm had never been fertile j for even admitting 

 that we were wrong in supposing it had never been 

 in cultivation, yet from the size of the present 

 growth on it, certainly it must have had sulTicient 

 rest, to renovate and restore it, to its primitive 

 state. There is a greater variety of soil on my 

 farm, than usually exists on one of the same ex- 

 tent. In speaking of the properties of the soil, I 

 now allude to it, in its present improved state. 

 The lands immediately on the river, are generally 

 of a light character, with a substratum of clay. 

 As you recede from the river, you pass a view of 

 what is called dark chesnut soil, and after passing 

 this about a half mile distant from the water, the 

 soil gradually stilTens. It has during cultivation 

 a whitish appearance, and when ploughed wet, be- 

 comes very hard. It is the kind of land denomi- 

 nated with us " white oak land." This part of the 

 farm is better adapted to wheat, than the lands on 

 the river. It never heaves during winter. The 

 term sandy loam as used in your Essay, expresses, 

 I think, better than any other, the general charac- 

 ter of my soil. 



In writing on the three field system, I had no 

 intention of combating your previously expressed 

 opinions, though I was well apprised of them, as 

 they had often been a subject of reflection. If I 

 were to venture to express an opinion in opposition 

 to yours, I should say that your remarks were per- 

 fectly correct, when applied to poor soils of a par- 

 ticular character, where the greater portion con- 

 sisted of coarse particles of sand : but that there 

 are many soils originally poor, which might be 

 rendered very fertile by the use of putrescent ma- 

 nures. In the main, I accord with the opinion of 

 Arator, quoted by you, in the 36th page of your 

 Essay on Calcareous Manures. In the 39th page 

 of that work, you observe, "but no where can a 

 farm be found, which has been improved beyond 

 its original fertility, by means of the vegetable re- 

 sources of its own arable fields." Now I certainly 

 tliink my farm affords one example, with this ex- 

 ception, that I have not relied only on the resources 

 of the arable fields, but have called to my aid the 

 leaves from the woods, and the sea-ooze, which I 

 have had carted from the river, in large quantities, 

 and which affords a valuable litter for pens. 



\V. H. KOY. 



VALUABLE MANURE NEW-JERSEY MARL. 



From the New York Farmer. 



3Tr. Fleet, — I have, according to promise, col- 

 lected a few facts upon the Jersey marl, as a ma- 

 nure, and I submit them to you for insertion in 

 the New York Farmer. 



Every person to whom I have applied for infor- 

 mation upon this new and valuable article, speaks 

 of it as possessing enriching qualities, truly sur- 

 prising, and of more general value than any known 

 substance at present in use for that purpose. 



Its effect was accidentally brought into local 

 notice about sixteen years ago, by a farmer, who, 

 having a ditch dug in a meadow, had the soil scat- 

 tered over the piece : the ditch or drain happened 

 to cut a vein of this marl, and the produce of the 

 meadow was three-fold the ensuing season, upon 

 the spot where the marl was scattered. Impor- 

 tant as this was, no further notice was taken of it, 

 and being of the old stamp, averse to any thing 

 new, he neglected to profit by his accidental good 

 fortune. That meadow still has a better bottom 

 where the marl was spread. After this I can find 

 no traces of its use till about nine years since, 

 when, by some chance, Mr. Alexander McGregor 

 spread a quantity on some grass land; the effect 

 was great, and he informed me that the first crop 

 paid him for the expense in additional hay. That 

 gentleman is now a warm advocate for it, and be- 

 ing a large owner, and a wealthy man, has caused 

 it to be pretty extensively used for these last two 

 years, for all kinds of crops, and he assured me last 

 week, with entire success; yet one or two, who 

 have pits of marl on their premises, still ])refer dis 

 posing of it to improve other farms, rather than 

 enrich their own. It is now ascertained that this 

 marl forms a substratum in many parts of the 

 Jersey coast, and therefore may be procured to any 

 extent ; and I am about to show you that its cheap- 

 ness, durability, strength, cleanness, &c. will make 

 it a valuable manure for the Long Island market- 

 gardeners and farmers. If they once try it, they 

 will no more buy the New- York manure at fifty 

 cents the carman's load. I am assured by one re- 



