No. 50.] 
447 
whole area. From sounding, the bottom appeared soft. The marsh at 
the head of the lake was not examined ; it probably contains marl. 
In all deposits of tufa and marl, a large quantity in the bottom of the 
bed is earthy, and considered unfit to burn for lime ; these portions ei- 
ther in their actual state or burned, can be advantageously used for agricul- 
tural purposes. Lime burned from this, and made into a compost with 
the black muck of swamps, would be an excellent manure for all the 
lands of the southern counties ; and even the hardpan, which is consi- 
dered almost worthless, may be reclaimed, and rendered fertile by the 
judicious application of muck and lime. The importance of this sub- 
ject cannot be too strongly urged. While the farmer is perhaps culti- 
vating a poor, hard soil, too compact for vegetable growth, his lands in- 
clude perhaps a muck swamp, which is considered nearly worthless. 
Now by ditching his swarnp, and carrying its contents on his field, both 
are essentially improved. The soil of these swamps, when reclaimed, 
is superior to the higher grounds. 
"Whiting Merry Esq of Wheatland, has for many years been making 
experiments with these substances, and the results meethis most sanguine 
expectations. In using either marl or muck, fifty loads are mixed with 
two hundred and fifty loads of barn manure, straw, &:c. and allowed to 
remain in a heap for several months. The marl compost used on grain 
lands, produces stronger and better straw, with larger crops. 
The muck compost, was used on a field previous to sowing with 
wheat ; twenty acres received a " top dressing" of twenty loads to the 
acre, and ten acres were left unmanured. From the twenty acres, were 
obtained twenty six, and from the ten, only seven bushels per acre ; the 
latter being as good or better land, and sown with the same grain. The 
average crop the same year, on a soil somewhat superior to this field, 
was nine bushels per acre. 
In the spring of 1839, a field was " top dressed " with twenty loads 
in the same manner, and planted with corn, it yielded 60 or 70 bushels 
to the acre. In addition to the increased crops, the land is thus made 
light and easily tilled. The addition of a little lime to the muck com- 
posts, is of great importance. 
No manure can be better adapted to the unproductive hardpan soil, 
which covers some of the hills in the southern counties. The deficien- 
