IMPLEMENTS, CARTS AND TEAMS FOR MARL. 297 



Implements and Means for facilitating tlie Labours Application 



of Marl. 



These directions are mostly suited for greater difficulties than 

 usually occur, though they are such as attended most of my labours 

 in marling. In the great majority of cases, there will be less 

 labour, and care, and skill required, because there will not be en- 

 countered such obstacles as high and steep hills to ascend, thick 

 over-lying earth to remove, or wet pits and roads to keep drained. 



In large operations and in dry and compact marl, much labour 

 of digging may be saved by slightly undermining the face of a per- 

 pendicular body of marl, and then splitting off large masses, by 

 driving in a line of large wooden wedges on the upper surface. 



For very hard marl, narrow and heavy pickaxes are the best dig- 

 ging implements. For softer marl, though still of close and com- 

 pact texture, heavy and narrow grubbing hoes are better. They 

 should weigh near or quite 7 Ibs. when new, and have the cutting 

 edge 3 to 3? inches. Gravel shovels (with rounded points and 

 long handles), of the best quality, are the cheapest and most effec- 

 tive tools for throwing out the marl, and loading the carts, as well 

 as for afterwards spreading the heaps in the field. 



Tumbrel or tilting carts, drawn by one horse or mule, are the 

 most convenient for conveying marl very short distances ; and even 

 for longer distances, if on hilly roads and fields. Every part of 

 such carts should be as light as will serve for strength, and the 

 body should be so small as to hold only the load it is designed to 

 carry. This enables the drivers to measure every load; which 

 advantage, on trial, will be found very important. If carts of 

 common and much larger sizes are used, the careless labourers will 

 generally load too lightly, and yet will sometimes injure the horso 

 by too heavy loading. The small-sized cart-bodies prevent both these 

 faults. Their loads cannot be made much too heavy ; and if too 

 light, the deficiency is detected at a glance. When there is much 

 or steep ascent in the carriage way, 5 heaped bushels of ordinary 

 wet marl, or 6 of dry, will make a full load for a good mule, or 

 ordinary horse. The larger quantity may be put in by heaping 

 somewhat above the level of the cart. The greatest objection to 

 these carts is that they are too small to carry loads of anything but 

 marl. On roads nearly level, tumbrels drawn by two mules are 

 much preferable. There is the saving of another driver, and the 

 cost and weight of another cart ; and though the cart is large and 

 heavy, it is so much lighter than two small carts, that two mules 

 together in the former, will draw full as much weight as if separate 

 and with the latter. The larger carts should hold about 15 heaped 

 bushels of marl, when the load is level with the top of the body ; 

 and which may be increased to 18 or 19 bushels (the proper load 



