240 
FERTILIZERS. 
its composition gives any advantage over other carbonates of lime, especially over the shaly 
and other comparatively impure limestones. They all contain organic matter and phosphoric 
acid. Marl may be used to any extent and upon any soil, and it is especially adapted to sandy 
soils. Marl has one property which is extremely important: it has an affinity for water, ex¬ 
ceeding even clay, and hence it is that on our sandy soils it may be used profitably ; and be¬ 
sides improving the character of the soil, chemically, that is, adding an element which most 
sandy soils require, it also increases its retentiveness. The Albany clay, which has sometimes 
been called marly clay, from its containing lime, will be benefited the least by marl of any 
variety of soil in the State ; it comes the nearest to calcareous soil of any kind in the State ; 
it contains all the lime which is essential to fertility, and the only form of lime which will 
operate decidedly upon it is caustic lime, and this has often failed, and failed because there is 
enough in it. Even the stiff blue clay is calcareous ; this formation extends through the State, 
from north to south, and also lines the banks of the St. Lawrence ; extends up the Mohawk 
valley, and is clearly recognized in the interior of the State, or many of the higher valleys of 
the southern counties. The effect of marl upon many crops is quite decisive ; on potatoes the 
yield is greater and the quality is improved. In fine, marl should be regarded as one of the 
most important fertilizers, being adapted to a great variety of crops, and is not liable to abuses, 
or to produce ill effects from a free and continued use. It often carries with it organic matter, 
phosphoric acid, iron and soluble silica. The position of marl is below peat beds, formed in 
isolated basins of quite a limited extent. The eastern counties, or those east of the Hudson 
river, furnish marl and peat in small basins. In Middle and Western New-York, both are more 
abundant, and occupy wider areas. In fact Middle and Western New-York'contain inexhausti¬ 
ble supplies of both substances. Both lie unemployed and useless; but the time is not far 
distant when they will advance in value, and be regarded as the most important formation in 
the State, iron excepted. 
Another formation of some importance is the beach marl, found upon the coast, where sea 
shell is mixed with various materials, as sea weed, sand, animal matter, etc. Decided effects 
have followed from the use of beach marl, even when the sand is strikingly predominant. 
Remarkable effects were noticed by President Hitchcock, on Cape Cod, where beach sand was 
transported to the sandy beds of a garden. The microscope revealed comminuted shells in the 
formation ; to the eye, unassisted, it is usually sand. Formations of this kind exist upon our 
coast: of course they are local, and merit only a passing notice. They however fully prove 
the value of comminuted shells, which may be turned to profit in cities, by using the oyster 
and clam shells. Pulverization may be promoted by a partial burning in a cheap kiln. One 
of the best uses which shells can be put to, is to apply them to our clay soil ; if coarsely pul¬ 
verized they will change the physical character of the formation and convert a stiff, close soil 
to a porous one. A cheap and simple mill for cracking them is certainly a desideratum. 
We have as yet no statistics by which we may learn the increase of products from the appli¬ 
cation of the different forms of lime. We are not, however, wanting in statements which go 
to prove that its application has been followed with little or no increase of products. To an- 
