234 
ADULTERATION OF FOOD.-NO. 2. 
again shows itself on the Potomac and throughout 
the tide-water region of Virginia, where the pro¬ 
portion of the so-called “ green marl,” of New Jer¬ 
sey, is materially diminished. 
In New Jersey, between Long Branch and Deal, 
the bed of marl has been penetrated to the depth of 
30 feet. The upper two feet consist of a green 
clay, seemingly derived from the disintegration of a 
green granular mineral, intermixed with a large 
proportion of yellowish-white clay. The main 
bed, which has a thickness of about 26 feet, com¬ 
prises several subordinate layers ;but all contain a 
large share of the green grains. Beneath the 
whole, there is a greyish-yellow clay, in which the 
grains abound, of remarkably large size, and are 
associated with numerous casts of shells. In one 
or two other instances, wells have also been sunk 
through the bed of marl, and the depth of the green 
sand ascertained to be about 30 feet. Various fos¬ 
sil shells and other marine productions, amounting, 
according to Professor Rogers’ Geological Report, 
to considerably more than one hundred species, are 
found imbedded in this marl. 
On a short visit, recently made by us, to the 
farm of Dr. John S. Bartlett, late editor and pro¬ 
prietor of the “Albion,” and to several other farms 
near the head of Pleasant Valley, in Marlborough, 
N. j.. which had been improved by the addition of 
marl, we were forcibly impressed in witnessing the 
luxuriant fields'of hay, grain, Indian corn, and other 
crops* where the original soil was a kind least of 
.all congenial RD vegetation, and where, in many 
cases, there was scarcely sod sufficient to keep the 
wind from blowing the surface away. Dr. Bart¬ 
lett pointed out to us a beautiful field of clover, 
which was strikingly contrasted with the barren¬ 
ness around it, that had been produced, simply by 
adding to each acre about 300 bushels of marl. 
This and other striking proofs of the fertilizing 
power of this substance ought to encourage the 
fanners of the whole marl region, referred to above, 
to search, by boring, or sinking pits, for this man¬ 
ure, on their own lands: for, there can be but little 
doubt that the agriculture of all light sandy soils, 
situated within reasonable distances of this marl, 
is destined, in future, to derive incalculable benefits 
from its application whenever judiciously and prop¬ 
erly put on. As an instance of the advantages to 
be gained by researches of this kind, we would 
state, that Dr. Bartlett contracted, last year, for 
600 loads of marl, at three miles’ distance from 
his farm, which cost him, in the aggregate, when 
delivered on his land, about seventy cents per load. 
A few weeks ago, in examining the banks and bot¬ 
tom of a small stream, running through his place, 
he dis<~ "ered an abundance of marl within five 
feet of to - surface, which, on analysis, proved to be 
similar in character to that which he had been at so 
much expense in purchasing and carting to within a 
rod of the very spot where it was fbund; thus, en¬ 
hancing the value of his farm, perhaps, fifty per 
cent. 
The value qf this marl, as an active fertilizer, 
when spread on the surface of light sandy lands, 
in East Jersey, has been amply tested, it is said, 
for fifty years. Various were the views maintain¬ 
ed in regard to its fertilizing principles, and much 
speculation was offered, in reference to them, as is 
usual on similar subjects. It is stated, however, 
that the problem was first solved by Mr. Henry 
Seybert, of Philadelphia, who demonstrated that 
the green sand of New Jersey contained a consi¬ 
derable amount of potash, which seems to afford 
a satisfactory clue to its mysterious effects. 
In comparing the details of the several analyses, 
given by Professor Rogers, in his Geological Re¬ 
port of New Jersey, it will be seen that the green¬ 
sand marl, even when of the greatest purity, is not 
absolutely constant, either in the nature of the. 
ingredients which enter into its composition, or 
in their relative proportions. The per centage of 
the silica varies from 43 to 52.32; that of the 
alumina, from 6.4 to 8.94 ; that of the protoxide of 
iron, from 21.6 to 27.56 ; that of the potash, from 
5.5. to 14.48; and that of the water, from 4.4 to 
8.12 It will be found, moreover, that in some in¬ 
stances, besides the above-named elements, that 
lime enters into the constitution of the green sand, 
in other cases magnesia; while, occasionally, both 
occur. The amount of these earths, however, is 
generally in small proportions. 
As our visit to the New-Jersey marl region was 
somewhat limited, we intend to extend our inqui¬ 
ries and furnish our readers with some further ac¬ 
count. 
ADULTERATION OF FOOD.—No. 2. 
Wheat Flour .- — The principal substances em¬ 
ployed in the adulteration of flour are potato starch , 
bean, pea and Indian-corn meal, rye flour, chalk, 
bone earth (burnt bones), powdered flints, plaster of 
Paris, and damaged,, or inferior kinds of wheaten 
flour. 
One of the simplest methods of detecting flour 
adulterated with potato starch, is by its weight, or 
specific gravity — thus a. vessel, which will hold one 
pound of good wheat flour, will contain about a 
pound and a half of potato starch ; hence the 
amount of adulteration can be estimated to a cer¬ 
tain extent. 
If a small quantity of boiling-hot water be .pour¬ 
ed upon flour, in which pea meal is present, the 
odor of peas will be detected; if bean flour, that 
of beans. Bean meal, also imparts a rose-colored 
tinge to bread adulterated with it. 
Rye flour, added to wheaten flour, gives it such 
a decided taste that the fraud is readily detected. 
The same may be said of Indian meal. 
Arrow Root and To.pioca .—The analogy arrow 
root has to potato starch, has induced mercenary 
persons to adulterate the former substance with it; 
and not only has this been done, blit we have heard 
of several well-authenticated instances in which 
potato starch alone has been sold for the genuine 
article imported from Bermuda, or the West Indies. 
There may not be any direct harm in this; that is 
to say, potato starch has the same nutritive powers 
as arrow root; but it is decidedly a fraud upon the 
public to sell so cheap an article at the same price 
as one which is comparatively costly. Besides, in 
potato starch, there is a peculiar taste, that brings 
to mind that of raw potatoes, from which the ge¬ 
nuine arrow root is entirely free. 
The fraud, however, can readily be detected, as 
arrow root is not quite so white as potato starch, 
its grains are smaller, and have a pearly and very 
