378 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [T844, 845, 846 



itself. But above all, the soil must be thoroughly drained (an operation which 

 at Mr. Brown's mill offered no difficulty, by the aid of a levee) and protected 

 from overflow, and then fallowed for a season, at least, after thorough tillage. 



Soils very similar to this, occur in the marsh of the Bayou Delisle, and Wolf 

 Iliver ; also, probably, on the Bayou Bernard, and on Jourdan's Kiver, both of 

 which traverse the same strata of hcav} r gray clays from which, no doubt, these 

 heavy marsh soils are derived. 



I have not as yet ascertained, how far from the main stream this kind of soil 

 extends. On the Mulatto Bayou, near Col. Claiborne's and Maj. A. Jackson's 

 Sea Island Cotton plantations ("[[861), the soil of the marsh, in which the 

 " cutting " and the " round-rush " alternate, the soil is extremely sandy, so as 

 to resemble, in specimens taken near the landing, the soil of the " pine meadows". 

 There, also, salty spots, overgrown with samphire, are common. Situated as 

 this marsh is, on the verge of a very sandy hommock, this circumstance cannot 

 be surprising ; it resembles, in fact, the Pascagoula marsh. 



84:4:. As for the latter, the analysis shows it to contain average amounts of 

 most of the ingredients of a good soil, but rather an excess of soda, and of 

 vegetable matter, in an acid condition, and likewise, quite a small amount of 

 lime. Here too, therefore, the application of lime is indicated. It is true that 

 in Mr. Lewis' experiment, the shell lime appeared to have no obvious effect ; 

 but this is probably attributable to the lack of proper drainage, inasmuch as the 

 little island of thrown-up soil was surrounded by the undrained marsh, the 

 waters of which, percolating through the loose soil, would be likely to render 

 the lime ineffectual in a short time ; and the want of proper aeration of the 

 soil and roots at the depth of a few inches, consequent upon imperfect drainage 

 would be likely to produce the effects noted. In all cases, drainage and fallow- 

 ing are the first conditions of the reclamation of a marsh soil and where drainage 

 is impracticable, in consequence of the low position, or too great permeability of 

 the soil, it is doubtful whether it can be applied to any better use, than the 

 improvement of the higher lands. — After thephysical faults have been remedied, 

 the chemical defects are easily righted. 



845. There can be uo doubt, that the addition of clay to these 

 sandy marsh soils would be a great improvement, and ought to be 

 effected whenever practicable — as for instance, in the marsh near 

 the new residence of Maj. Jackson, where clay crops out on the 

 beach. Hauling of clay as an improvement to land, is in general 

 too expensive to be resorted to, but on the sea-coast land is so valua- . 

 ble, that maay modes of improvement can be made to" pay ", which 

 would be impracticable elsewhere. There is not in the marsh 

 soils analyzed, any large amount of phosphoric acid ; so that the 

 application of super-phosphate of lime, ground bones, or Columbian 

 guano, would probably prove beneficial. 



84G. As to the best source from which to obtain the lime 

 necessary in the reclamation of the marshes, it may be observed, 

 that the shell banks of the coast may supply the demand for some- 

 time to come. But when these are exhausted, it is to be hoped 

 that the rich marl beds of Pearl and Pascagoula Rivers, and not 

 the limestone quarries of Maine, will be resorted to. It were 

 strange indeed, if a tract of country situated at the mouth of two 

 rivers navigable during a large part of the year, and traversing 

 the richest marl beds of the State, should fail to avail itself of 

 these natural advantages. 



Calcareous marls, as has been stated in the Geological Report, are found as 



