RE-MARLINGS. 195 



Such results, to this extent, have occurred only where the temporary 

 occupants of the land thought they had no interest in preserving 

 fertility for future use, or otherwise were grossly ignorant or neg- 

 lectful of their own interests. 



But though the first dressing of marl being heavy, and not sub- 

 sequently repeated, are conditions best suited for showing the long 

 duration of effects, that course is not economical or proper in any 

 other respect. When a heavy dressing is applied at once, perhaps 

 half the amount (even if not afterwards hurtful by its excess) is 

 superfluous, and lies useless and as dead capital for ten or twenty 

 years. It would be far cheaper, and more conformable to the 

 theoretical views of the action of calcareous manures, if half the 

 quantity of such heavy first applications had been withheld until 

 the addition was required by the increased store of organic matter 

 in the soil, and by the prospective continued supply, which would 

 call for more calcareous matter, for the purpose of combining with 

 what otherwise would be a useless and wasting excess of vegetable 

 or other organic matter. 



Except where the first dressing was very light, and therefore was 

 very soon after added to, there were no re-marlings on the Coggins 

 farm until about 1843. The want of more calcareous matter then 

 seemed to be indicated on parts of the farm, which either had at 

 first been the least heavily covered, or otherwise had since received 

 the most putrescent manure from the stock pens, or other supplies 

 of vegetable matter. These indications were understood when, 

 after a long time, scattering plants of sorrel began to reappear ; 

 when there was evidence of great increase of organic matter in the 

 soil shown by the larger products of grain j and never by any de- 

 crease of production, except of clover alone. Believing that it was 

 time for re-marling to be beneficial, that operation was then begun, 

 and has been continued annually since on the parts of the land 

 supposed to require it, on each field, preceding its next corn crop. 

 The soils so re-marled, of course, were neutral before (from the 

 first marling); or, at most, had very little excess of newly -formed 

 acid j and, of course, no perceptible or manifest benefit from the 

 re-marling was expected, or has been found, in the next succeeding 

 grain crops. 



In these cases, the want of additional calcareous matter was not 

 caused by the waste or disappearance of the first supply ; but be- 

 cause the first supply, still remaining with very slight diminution 

 of quantity, and none of effect, had served so to increase the organic 

 matter of the soil, that a larger quantity of calcareous matter could 

 be put to use and profit. This is altogether different from the 

 supposed exhaustion, by use and by waste, of the first supply of 

 calcareous matter, as occurs of putrescent manure, and the conse- 

 quent necessity for replacing it by a new supply. And this latter 



