AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 353 



not be found much farther south ; detached, perhaps, but still existing in 

 large quantities ? 



On the other hand, may it not underlie the sands of the south part of 

 Long Island, and may not a little investigation show that it crops out 

 towards the middle, or some other position on the island ? If this should 

 be so, and the same use be made of it as in this State, we may find, as 

 here, land raised in value from $10 to $160 per acre. 



Whatever may be thought of the manner in which the seaweed has been 

 collected, I think that the analysis in the table furnish sufficient evidence 

 that green sand-marl is the result of vegetation, and consequently, that it 

 may, hypothetically, be raised to the grade of those inorganics that have 

 once been in an organized condition. 



In conclusion, I think that the charge of 7 cents per bushel, or $1.75 

 per ton, is enormous, when we see the large mass of marl cropping out at 

 Sandy Hook, and so easily obtained, when compared with the expense of 

 mining coal. Moreover, it is probable that the marl which we get in this 

 neighborhood, brought from the high, dry banks of the Navisink hills, is 

 not as valuable as some of the others, since the report, pages 9.3 and 94 

 says : " Some of them are more soluble than others. Those which are dug 

 in valleys, or in locations where the surface water does not soak through 

 them and run off below ; where they have never been drained and dry, are 

 always the easiest dissolved, being readily decomposed by carbonic acid 

 and water. Many of the dry bank or hill marls appear to have under- 

 gone a kind of seasoning, such as stone goes through when taken from the 

 quarry and exposed to the weather — they become harder and less easily 

 acted on. The experience of the farmers with the active marls, lends 

 support to this view ; in that, they find the heavy dressings applied at long 

 intervals, as was formerly the practice, are not as beneficial as the same 

 amount applied in lighter and more frequent coats. When first taken 

 from the pit it is most active and gradually becoiues inert. Lime mixed 

 with such marls, or applied on them in the soil, will render them more 

 easy of decomposition, and thus favor their action." 



Mr. Pardee said that the point upon which we want information, is, 

 where to apply this fertilizer, since, in some cases, it has not proved a 

 valuable application. He stated a case, corroborated by the chairman, of 

 its application by Samuel Stevens, late of Long Island, where the laud 

 was injured rattier than benefited. 



FLOWER CULTURE BY A FARMER'S WIPE. 



Solon Robinson read the following letter, from Mrs. C. J. Penoyer, of 

 Sharon, Dutchess county, and commended it to the attention of other 

 farmer's wives, particularly that portion of it which speaks of saving seeds. 

 It is from that that all improvements must come. 



" I have read wi;h much interest the discussion at the Farmers' Club, 

 and being a great lover of flowers, I have found some hints which I consider 

 of so much importance, I have cut them out and given them a place in 



[Am. Inst.] 23 



