146 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
pendix to Holland’s Survey of Cheshire. Those kinds of which we are now 
treating are often found at the base of chalk hills, or in the valleys formed be¬ 
tween them, and have probably arisen from the chalk which has been washed 
down by the rains, together with the vegetable and animal matter of various 
descriptions which collect and combine together; for, on analyzing them, they 
are found to contain clay, sand, loam, and chalk, and in proportion to the 
quantity of other substances with which they are combined, they are either 
saponaceous and clammy, or crumble if largely mixed with calx. Earthy marls 
are, however, found in beds of such distinct substance, that a body of sandy 
marl has been known with a regular bed of limestone under it, and a stratum 
of clay-marl under that; in which case it is evident that the clay at the bottom, 
if it was not the native soil, must have formerly formed some part of the hill 
towards its base. The colour of marl is thus occasioned by the nature of the 
mixtures of which it is composed, for pure calx, or chalk, being white, neces¬ 
sarily imparts a similar hue in proportion to the quantity of calcareous matter 
which it contains; while the red tinge so perceptible in much of the clay-marl 
is a strong evidence of the existence of iron. There is also a sort of clay which, 
from its soapiness, is often mistaken for marl, though differing essentially in its 
requisite properties. This earth appears to be imdregnated with sulphur, and 
other mineral substances injurious to vegetation, which renders it expedient 
that farmers who are not already well acquainted with its nature should either 
use it at first cautiously, or have carefully analyzed by some competent che¬ 
mist. 
SHELL-MARL. 
Shell-marl is usually of a blueish colour, soft to the touch, and somewhat 
resembling potter’s earth; but when exposed to the air it crumbles, and falls 
into a powder, nearly in the same manner as lime does in slaking. 
The nature of this marl is very different from those of earth or stone; for it 
contains both stimulant and fertilizing properties which do not belong to the 
former, and from its effects upon the soil it has been classed among animal ma¬ 
nures, though it more properly resembles a compost formed of earth and lime, 
with animal and vegetable substances, for which reason it is justly considered 
preferable to the others. It exists at the bottom of most lakes, and under bogs 
and morasses, or other pieces of stagnant water which have been drained, and 
might, no doubt, be found in every place where water has originally rested; 
though, as it is usually under others layers of earth or peat, its depth below 
the surface is often too great to admit of its being searched for w ith advantage. 
Every farmer should, therefore, carefully examine the sides and bottoms of liis 
ditches and ponds, for, by doing so, he may often find appearances of marl in 
places where it was not suspected, and large beds of the most valuable sort 
have been in that manner discovered, which might have remained unnoticed 
for years. 
It is chiefly composed of those myriads of small shell-fish which, with other 
fry and insects, usually procreate wherever there are pools of water, and the 
remains of which have, in the course of past ages, been deposited along with 
sand and decayed vegetables, or other matter swept from eminences, or by the 
decomposition of aquatic plants. This process of alluvion has, in the lapse of 
time produced those masses of shell-marl which display the most striking ef¬ 
fects when employed as manure; for the shells, when decomposed, are con¬ 
verted into lime of such purity, that some moss-marl, examined by Dr. Coven¬ 
try, was found to contain 84 percent of pure chalk—which is more than is ge¬ 
nerally possessed by the purest lime—and the mould formed of the other sub¬ 
stances must be very rich.* It may, therefore, be converted into quick-lime, 
by burning, or it may be used in its natural state; but then it is not so minute¬ 
ly divisible, nor so soluble in water, and is of course, more tardy in its opera 
tion; its effects, however, continue longer, and it is apparent that, as it con 
tains more calcareous matter than the common qualities of lime, it may be used 
in smaller quantities. When spread upon grass, or clover, it is found to pro¬ 
mote the growth of the herbage, for it partakes of the nature of pounded lime¬ 
stone, and possessing none of the caustic properties of quick lime, it may be 
used without hazard as a top-dressing. It also occasions heavy tillage crops; 
and if the land be not over-cropped before it is returned to pasture, the turf is 
found to be closer, more plentiful, and sweeter than before; but on cold damp 
soils, which have been heavily worked, the crops of grain have proved later, 
and the corn lighter than on land which has been limed. 
MARL PITS. 
The common mode of searching for this, and every other kind of marl, is, 
by the boring-irons used in seeking coal, and other mineral substances, ll 
may, however, be easily effected by any farmer who has reason to suspect its 
existence on his own land, by using a long pole, furnished with an iron auger 
fixed at its end; but if this does not reach the marl within about twenty feet 
below the surface, the sinking of pits, unless the quality be very superior, will 
seldom be found to answer the purpose. The pit is usually opened by digging 
a ditch of four to six feet broad, by twelve to twenty long, the surface earth 
being generally thrown on one side, and of the sub-soil, or virgin earth, on the 
other. The marl is then extracted in square pieces w ith a small cutting spade, 
either to its full depth, or to that to which it can be taken without danger; for 
care must be observed in preventing it from falling in, by which serious acci¬ 
dents have very frequently happened. The pit is then either so far filled up as 
it will allow, with the clay rubbish, or other earth of the sub-soil, covered by 
* Farmer’s Mag., vol. iv. p. 156. By other experiments made by Sir G. 
Mackenzie (ib. vol. v., p. 271,) it appeared that some shell marl was compos- 
ed of 
Lime .. 41 25' 
Carbonic acid.32 
Silex. 14 
Argil... 4 >in 100 parts. 
Oxide of iron.. 25 
Inflammable matter.... 2 
Loss... 4 70, 
that of the surface; and if it be not of great depth, it may, with a little atten¬ 
tion, be easily brought to a level with the rest of the field; if not, it is in other 
places formed into ponds; but in that case, or if left in open pits, the precau¬ 
tion should be observed, of either fencing them round, or sloping their sides, 
so as to guard against accidents. 
In those places where marling is regularly carried on throughout the year, it 
is generally managed by persons who make it their sole business; but when 
the farmer’s teams must be employed, it can be only done from the latter part 
of autumn until the commencement of the spring sowing, or during the inter¬ 
vals of other work, though it may be carted upon the land at all times w hieh 
may be found convenient. The expense depends upon a great variety of cir¬ 
cumstances, but chiefly upon the depth from which the marl is dug, and the 
distance to which it is to be carried. The nature of the surface-soil, and the 
charge of removing it—the tenacity of the marl, and the quantity of water with 
which it may be covered—all vary according to the locality: then the carriage, 
particularly of clay-marl, is so heavy, that unless it can be found nearly ad¬ 
joining the farm, it will rarely pay the cost of removal; for the work is so se¬ 
vere that, even in the slack time of winter, the cattle will require belter food 
than is usual at that season, and the wear and tear is also considerable. All 
weighty considerations, which, when compared with the tenure of the land, 
deserve mature consideration before the improvement be attempted.* 
Tenants should, therefore, be cautious how they undertake it, unless back¬ 
ed either by the security of a long lease, or by entire confidence in the estima¬ 
tion of their landlord; for a very considerable period may elapse before it in¬ 
corporates with the soil, and, consequently, before any benefit can be received 
from it. Of w hich, that able farmer Mr. Macro, of Suffolk, gives an instance, 
in 120 square yards having been laid upon some very poor soil at an expense 
that would have purchased the fee simple of the land; yet no visible improve¬ 
ment w as effected in comparison with other ground which had not been marl¬ 
ed, until very long afterwards, but then it evidently obtained an advantage, 
which it maintained after a lapse of twenty years .—Library of Useful Know¬ 
ledge, Farmer’s Series. 
THE DIFFERENCE OF EXHAUSTING AND ENRICHING TILLAGE. 
Grant me space in your columns to communicate to the public the results of 
my experience in farming. I have been trying to farm tor twenty years, nine¬ 
teen of which, I persisted in my own course, unaided by agricultural papers, 
or by any systematic rule; consequently my improvements were small. The 
last year I subscribed for the Tennessee Farmer, and searched, read and ex¬ 
amined it, and other authors—entirely turning my attention to book farming : 
and I freely acknowledge, that the improvements I have made during that 
period, have far exceeded those of the nineteen previous years; and I return 
you my sincere thanks for your aid—though I have not acquired all my know¬ 
ledge from your paper alone, yet I have been materially benefitted by it, inas¬ 
much as it begat in me a spirit of enterprise and desire for improvement. As 
I have derived great benefit from the knowledge and experience of others, I 
think it my duty in return to furnish them with the results of my experience, 
soliciting an enlightened community to pursue an improved and systematic 
course of agriculture, assuring them, that they will find the profit resulting 
therefrom amply sufficient to compensate them for their labor and toil. I must, 
however, confine my remarks to a few only of my experiments. 
In the year 1822, I purchased a farm of 354 acres, 125 of which was cleared. 
The land was once good second-rate land, but was now completely worn out. 
Being greatly indebted for my farm, the idea of improving the cleared land ne¬ 
ver entered into my mind; but I set to work opening fresh land, until I had 
enlarged my cleared land to 225 acres; this I continued to cultivate in corn, 
until a part of it was so far exhausted, that I could no longer cultivate this crop 
profitably. 
In the spring of 1833, I planted two acres of my land in corn, (this two acres 
was about equal to the balance of my cleared land,) on which I raised 20 bu¬ 
shels to the acre; the corn was worth 25 cents per bushels, umounting to $10; 
the cost of cultivating was $7, which left me a profit of $3. The following 
year it remained uncultivated. The next fall I sowed it in wheat. The fol¬ 
lowing spring I hauled out ten tons of good stable manure, which I spread 
over one acre. At harvest I gathered from the two acres nineteen bushels of 
good wheat, which brought me the sum of $16.62|. The cost of the crop, I 
estimated at $6.62£. The manure say, was worth $10, which brings the ac¬ 
count out even. In the spring I sowed orchard grass and clover seed. The 
succeeding spring I sowed over the grass a quantity of plaster and ashes. The 
result was—from the manured arce I mowed five loads of hay; from the one 
not manured, I mowed two loads; each load "was worth at least $5; conse¬ 
quently, the manured acre yielded me $25 worth of hay; the umanured acre 
only $10 worth. The cost of harvesting the manured acre was $1.50; plaster, 
&c., 50 cents, making $2. Profit, five loads of hay at $5 per load, $25,-leaving 
a clear profit of $23 on the manured acre. The cost of harvesting the unmanurea 
* The price of good marl, when raised by contractors, is charged at such va¬ 
rious prices in different places, that we should probably mislead some of our 
readers if we were to state them. It is computed at separate sums for ground- 
age, digging, and spreading upon the land; but independent of the cost of car¬ 
riage, which is to be added. We may, however, observe that, when taken 
from the wastes or commons, it is the practice of some landlords to charge 5s. 
an acre for the land marled; others 2d. per farm-horse load; and in some parts 
of the north the expense has been thus calculated: paring the marl, say of three 
feet of superficial soil, 12s per cubic rood of 64 yards; getting and filling the 
marl, 12s.; loading it, supposing the pit to beat the distance of 100 or 150 
yards, 21s.; and spreading, 4s. per rood.—Cheshire Report, p.223; Steven¬ 
son’s Lancashire, p. 496. In Hampshire, the total charge of marling, when 
done by the farmer’s men and teams, at an average distance of 80 rods from 
the pit, is stated at £3 10s. per acre, presuming the quantity laid on to be 30 
cart-loads of 1J ton each; that is, taking common laborers at 2s., and horses, 
including wear and tear, at 4s. per day.—Vancouver’s Hants, p 337. 
