1853, IVEMENT OF COAST HOMMOCKS. 381 



Shell lime alone, applied to the sandy soil n its productiveness for 



-, but would kill it crops 



'- — We ran lime 



with lime; and I '-Me matter ought to be in a considerably advanced 



In clay soils, which are very retenti iture (*l ; w8), undecayed 



ught into the soil in company with lime, will very soon 



But in s upt changes 



from w ow ; and besides, the 



etc., is liable to increase tbe "open- 

 : ways, 

 be ore beingapplied 

 to soils of this kind. (In reference to this Bf.). 



tble matter 

 alread, rally available on tbe Coast — viz: the Much of the 



mpant" (1T835, 840). It is 

 doubtful whether this muck, if applied to thehommocks by itself, izi its naturally 

 acid condition, would be much of an impro Ithough (as tbe analysis of 



Mr. Lewis' Marsh soil shows) it is rich in the nutritive ingredients of plants. 

 But when applied conjointly with a due proportion of lime (shell lime or any 

 other), it would undoubtedly form a highly valuable addition to the soil (1144:2), 

 and improve it permanently by correcting its defects in relation to the retention 

 of moisture and manure. 



It would probably be found most convenient in practice to mix the muck with 

 a certain (not excessive) proportion of lime when freshly thrown out; leaving it 

 afterwards to lose the greater part of its water, to diminish the cost of hauling, 

 before applying it to the land More lime may then be added by sowing it 

 broad-cast, after the muck is turned under. If too much lime were added while 

 the muck is in a moist condition, by itself, a portion of the valuable ammonia it 

 contains might be driven off and lost. 



854. Plaster (i;436), would not probably answer very well in the place of 

 lime ; but in most cases, an admixture of this substance, when lime is chiefly 

 used, would be highly advantageous. Ground bones, super-phosphate of lime, 

 and " Columbian Guano" (Tf432), would be very useful in conjunction with the 

 muck; and in most cases, by themselves alone also, though not to the same 

 extent. — All kinds of ashes will be especially beneficial when mixed with the 

 Muck. 



Pine straw is oftentimes a valuable fertilizer, where muck is not. It ought 

 to be well rotted before application. (In regard to its use, composition, etc., see 

 T7VI0, ff.). 



855. In the sandy soils of the "hommocks", as well as in those of the inland 

 Meadows (*f[821, 824), there are sometimes "clay ridges". Athough termed 

 ridges, they are not necessarily elevated above the general level of the sandy lands ; 

 perhaps in the majority of instances, this is, however, the case ; so much so that 

 any unusual elevation of the ground, away from the shore, is rather indicative of 

 a clay subsoil. These " ridges " do not seem to conform very sensibly to the 

 direction of the present drainage of the country. Thus, at Handsboro', we 

 find a heavy, orange-yellow clay forming the subsoil on a part of Mr. T. J. 

 Humphries' land, at an average depth of 12 inches ; the surface soil being quite 

 light and sandy, so as to allow of an undergrowth of gallberry and dwarf 

 palmetto, while the timber is formed by Long-leaf Pine, Sweet Gum and Black 

 Jack — the last two, as a general thing, denizens of a heavy soil.* 



We have, in this instance, a striking example of the difference which may 



*At least — so far as the Black Jack is concerned — when its trunk is high and 

 its branches spreading ; while a short trunk and small, bushy tops are character- 

 istic of a sandy soil. 



