628 



FARMERS' REGISTER— "TERRE HOUILLE. 



beyond these limits, and the increase of the quan- 

 tity manufactured for the purpose of satisfying this 

 additional demand, will ultimately compensate the 

 revenue for the increase in the rate of duty. The 

 mutual interest of the manuflicturers and the con- 

 sumers in this state — (he advantages to the busi- 

 ness intercourse between our citizens and the north 

 and west, resulting directly and indirectly from 

 our ability to supply these regions with this impor- 

 tant and necessary article, and the ultimate effect 

 of this increased demand upon the public revenue, 

 considered in reference to the tolls on the canal, as 

 well as to the direct duty on the salt, render it ex- 

 pedient, in my opinion, to bring the reduction to 

 the lowest constitutional limit." 



Here I must be permitted to observe, that it is 

 impossible not to pay a tribute of respect to the 

 " empire state," for determining to redeem its 

 debt, at the market price, instead of waiting till 

 the period fixed by law for its redemption. — 

 The commissioners say, " it has greatly facilitated 

 their operations in cancelling the debt ;" but it has 

 had another and still more important effect — it will 

 facilitate other loans and reduce their interest. 



And if we pursue the subject still farther, and 

 study it as represented in the report, when it speaks 

 of the result of the diminution of the freight on 

 lead, we shall discover the folly of all restrictive 

 legislation. Indeed, the wliole course and pro- 

 gress of New York, since the illustrious Clinton 

 projected " the great ditch," contains volumes of 

 instruction on the interesting question of national 

 ])rosperity. That state has expended, in principal 

 and interest from fifteen to twenty millions of dol- 

 lars, and it has reaped an hundred fold profit. This 

 may be deemed a wild and ranting assertion ; but 

 provided there are means of estimating, even in a 

 loose manner, the ichole wealth of New Yoi-k be- 

 fore and since the time of Clinton, the writer has 

 little doubt his estimate will prove correct. 



A discussion of the question forcibly, very for- 

 cibly, reminds him of a paper published many 

 years since in the Aurora, entitled, he thinks, 

 " The State of the Nation," the object of which 

 was to prove that the maxim of Franklin, of" sa- 

 ving the pence and the shillings, imd leaving the 

 pounds to take care of themselves," had, in far too 

 great a degree, been adopted by the United States, 

 in its book of Political Arithmetic. At least, this 

 is the impression, after the lapse of a long period 

 of time, which it has made on the writer's mind ; 

 for, in political arithmetic, two and two do not 

 make four. Look at Virginia, with the precept of 

 the first man of his age ; and New York, with the 

 example of one who, though great, could bear no 

 comparison with the illustrious Virginian — and 

 the actual situation of the two communities will 

 speak volumes and prove the fact. 



Mr. Duane also published a paper entitled, 

 " Samson among the Philistines," the republica- 

 tion of which would probably render great service 

 to the community. 



" TERRE HOUILLE" OF THE CHESTERFIELD 

 COAL MINES. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Resistor. 



Manchester, Va. 2d February, 1834. 

 I have to acknowledge the receipt of two sheets 

 of the ninth number of the Farmers' Register, 

 containing the article on the proposed mineral ma- 



nures, together with the observations of Professor 

 Blaettermann and N. Herbemont, Esq.; and from 

 the descrij)tion given of the " terrehouille," would 

 say, that the slack (or fine) coals of our mines, 

 which are not merchantable at present, appear to 

 be of this quality — though they differ in some res- 

 pects. They take fire by spontaneous combustion, 

 after lying in heaps for some time, arid burn with 

 very little or no flame ; they contain a large por- 

 tion of alum and copperas, particularly the latter, 

 and evidently cannot be useful as manure, before 

 being calcined. Small portions of salt pelre are 

 also noticed in it, while it possesses a large portion 

 of sulphur. Experience has proved, that coals in 

 a state of nature are injurious to vegetation, while 

 the ashes are beneficial ; and on some soils, to a very 

 high degree. I am convinced, that nothing is 

 more beneficial to fruit trees, than taking away 

 the earth near the surface, about the roots, and 

 supplying its place with coal ashes. This is an 

 admirable remedy to prevent the worms from de- 

 stroying the peach trees; and by a mixture with 

 calcareous or other earths, may doubtless be found 

 extremely valuable. Our rail road passes through 

 several extensive strata of marl, or clay of varie- 

 gated colors, soft and soapy in appearance, evi- 

 dently containing some valuable properties; and 

 as it is on the line of the rail road, where conside- 

 rable excavations were made to obtain the level, it 

 might be obtained in great quantities, and trans- 

 ported to the river at comparatively small expense. 

 You have piomised to visit our mines, and I 

 have anticipated much pleasure and information 

 from the developements you might make. 



C. 



[The foregoing confinnation of the great similarity, 

 if not identity of the " terre houille" with that kind 

 of coal in our mines which is so abundant, and has 

 been considered so worthless heretofore, is the more va- 

 luable because furnished by one, who in practical expe- 

 rience, and extent of observation on coal mines, is sur- 

 passed by few in this country. The objections urged 

 by C. to the use of this substance as manure, on ac- 

 count of the ahmi and copperas contained, are support- 

 ed by theory as well as by experience. Copperas is 

 certainly a poison to soil, and it is believed that alum is 

 also. But both these are sulphates, the first being a com- 

 bination of sulphuric acid with iron, and the second of 

 that acid with alumine (the pure matter of clay) — and 

 if calcareous earth is mixed with these salts, they will 

 be decomposed, and gypsum formed, by the sulphuric 

 acid uniting with the lime: the poison would be de- 

 stroyed, and a most valuable manure formed — and in- 

 deed, these substances, which are so noxious, would 

 serve to give the best ingredient in the whole compound. 

 This object alone, would be sufficiently important, 

 (supposing the remaining portion of the " terre houille" 

 to be of any worth as manure,) to induce the carriage of 

 calcareous manures from a distance ; and still more from 

 the marl which C. suppo-ses to be found in the vicinity. 

 Of the correctness of this supposition however, we shall 

 entertain doubts until the earths in question are ex- 

 amined by chemical tests. Altogether, this subject, 

 which we were at first prompted to investigate, more by 

 idle curiosity, than any reasonable prospect of arriving 

 at useful results, rises in interest and importance : and 

 there seems good ground to hope that, in some manner 



