THE CULTIVATOR. 
161 
posed to danger in peace as well as in war. Prosperity not less 
than trial may sap the foundation of the social fabric ; and there is 
at all times less danger from a foreign foe, than from party passion, 
individual selfishness, and general apathy. 
It will not, of course, be expected of me to enlarge upon the du¬ 
ties which devolve upon our husbandmen, with a view to guard 
against these dangers and perpetuate our institutions in their purity. 
I can but glance at the topic. But I may say, that the first and 
most important duty of the husbandman is to endeavor to preserve, 
and if it may be to strengthen, the broad foundation laid by our fa¬ 
thers, in a deep religious principle. Surely there is no class of the 
community, whose daily pursuits ought to furnish greater nourish¬ 
ment to the sense of religious things. The reflecting mind it is true, 
beholds traces of a higher wisdom and goodness in every step of 
every walk of life ; but the husbandman, who drops a seemingly life¬ 
less seed into the cold damp earth,—there in a great part to decay, 
—who sees the vital germ in a few days pierce the clod,—rise into 
the air,—drink the sun’s rays and the dews of heaven,—shoot up¬ 
ward and expand,—array itself in glories beyond the royal vesture 
of Solomon,—extract from the same common earth and air a thou¬ 
sand varieties of the green of the leaf,—the rainbow hues of the pe¬ 
tals, the juicy or the solid substances of the fruit which is to form 
the food of man and his dependent animals—1 say the intelligent 
husbandman who beholds this, seems to step behind the veil, which 
conceals the mysteries of creative power, and sit down, (if I dare so 
to speak) in the laboratory of Omnipotence. 
Connected with the cultivation of the religious principle, and the 
natural fruit of it, we look to our husbandmen for a high moral sense. 
The worst feature in the degradation of many foreign countries, is 
the moral condition of those who till the soil, showing itself in the 
extreme of intemperance, and the kindred vices. No man can fully 
understand this, who has not witnessed it. In the general moral 
character of our population, we are warranted in saying, that it 
might serve as an example to the world. I do not think that out of 
New-England, (and I repeat only a remark, which, I have heard se¬ 
veral time from persons coming from other parts of the country,) 
you could assemble a concourse giving so much proof of sobriety, 
thrift, and industry, as is brought together in this town to-day, and 
might be assembled, on a similar occasion, in any town in Massa¬ 
chusetts. We look to our husbandmen, by precept and example, to 
sustain, and if possible elevate this sound state of morals in the com¬ 
munity. 
Lastly, that I may say a single word on a subject, on which the 
orator has preceded me—it is a great and just boast of the pilgrims 
and their descendants, that they made early and ample provisions 
for education. Farmers of Essex, holdfast of that boast. I had ra¬ 
ther for the appearance, if I must choose between them, see the 
country dotted all over, at its cross-roads, with its plain little village 
school-houses, than have the high places of a few large towns crown¬ 
ed with the most splendid fabrics of Grecian and Roman art. I had 
rather for the strength and defence of the country,—if I must choose 
between them,—see the roads that lead to those school-houses 
thronged with the children of both sexes, saluting the traveller as he 
passes, in the good old New-England way, with their little courtesy 
or nod, than gaze on regiments of mercenary troops parading upon 
the ramparts of impregnable fortresses. Aye, for the honor of the 
thing, I had rather have it said of me, that I was, by choice, the 
humble citizen of the state, making the best provision for the 
education of all its children, and that I had the heart to appre¬ 
ciate this blessing, than sit on a throne of ivory and gold, the 
monarch of an empire on which the sun never sets. Husbandmen, 
sow your seed of instruction in your sons’ and daughters’ minds. It 
will grow up and bear fruit, though the driving storm scatter the 
blossoms of spring, or untimely frost overtake the hopes of autumn. 
Plant the germ of truth in the infant understandings of your child¬ 
ren ; save, stint, spare, scrape,—do any thing but steal,—in order to 
nourish that growth ;—and it is little,—nothing to say, that it will 
flourish when your grave-stones, crumbled into dust, shall mingle 
with the dust they covered;—it will flourish, when that over-arched 
heaven shall pass away like a scroll, and the eternal sun, which 
lightens it shall set in blood ! 
MARL—( Continued from page 146.) 
APPLICATION OF MARL. 
Many farmers either lay marl upon land sown with tares, thus 
making a bastard fallow; or they apply it to grass land, or to a clo¬ 
ver ley, to be broken up in the following year. The latter is cer¬ 
tainly the preferable, as well as the most general practice, for it 
not alone produces an abundance of good pasture, but it affords 
time for the season to operate in bringing the marl into a fit state 
for future tillage crops, which cannot be done in the common course 
of cropping, because it becomes buried by the plough before it is 
properly mixed with the soil, especially if turned in deep the first 
earth. It should, therefore, be allowed sufficient time to sink, and 
eat itself into the surface, before it is ploughed up. This, however, 
is by some persons carried to an absurd length, as they occasionally 
\ spread a coat of marl upon the green sward, and leave it there un¬ 
ploughed for many years, in which case the grass receives consider¬ 
able detriment, for the marl then sinks downwards in a body, with¬ 
out incorporating with the soil; though, when it has lain a long time 
in this state, the subsequent crops of corn have been found to be 
enormous. If laid upon grass, it may be carried out during all pe¬ 
riods of the year in which the crop is not in a forward state of 
I growth ; but if applied to arable land intended for immediate culti¬ 
vation, the months of June and July, or soon after the autumn seed¬ 
time, are considered the best for its application. If laid on a short 
time previous to winter, its effect is also generally prompt, because, 
except it be of a very tenacious kind, the action of the cold and 
i rain commonly divide it in time, to be thoroughly amalgamated with 
the soil by the tillage of a summer fallow. If, however, it be only 
applied during the spring months, this cannot be so properly carried 
into execution, for it requires the winter’s rain and frost to crumble 
it, and it consequently has but little power upon the year’s crop.— 
A complete summer fallow is, undoubtedly, the best mode of bring¬ 
ing it into perfect operation : but not only is the expense often ob¬ 
jected to, but there is also a strong prejudice entertained by many 
persons against fallowing—into which it is not our present object to 
enquire, although we necessarily shall have occasion to notice it 
hereafter. 
It is almost superfluous to add, that, in whatever manner it be ap¬ 
plied, it must be equally spread over the land ; and if there should 
be any large lumps remaining, these should be broken with mallets, 
or clotting-beetles, in the same manner as chalk, before it is plough¬ 
ed in. This, however, is not usually done until the marl has parta¬ 
ken of both one summer’s sun and one winter’s frost; and should 
the previous season have proved unfavorable to the reduction of the 
marl to small particles, the process, in some cases, costs so much, 
that, when laid upon grass or clover, it is often found more advisa¬ 
ble to leave the ground unbroken during another year. Then, 
when well crumbled, dry weather should be chosen for rolling and 
harrowing it—a first time with heavy rollers and drags, and a se¬ 
cond, after it has been exposed to rain, and has been again dried : 
in short, until it has been rendered as small as possible; after which 
it should be lightly ploughed in, again harrowed, and receive from 
two to four ploughings, according to the condition of the soil. The 
intermixture of the marl with the earth cannot, in fact, be too com¬ 
plete ; for whatever proportion remains uncombined with the soil, 
will not alone fail of producing the intended effect, but will have one 
of an opposite and prejudicial tendency. 
The quantity of marl which it may be prudent to apply to the land 
depends entirely on the nature of the soil, and the properties of the 
marl; the more calcareous is the latter, the greater is the effect 
which it will produce, as a stimulant; and shell marl possesses, be¬ 
sides, the additional power of nourishing the soil by the vegetable 
and animal mould with which it is combined. This species was for¬ 
merly profusely used on every sort of ground, but at present the 
average amount applied to land of the medium kind is from 30 to 40, 
or, if it be very light, only 25 cart-loads, or 16 cubic feet per acre. 
Land of the latter quality may, indeed, be readily over marled; as 
by repeated marling, in large quantities, the surface of poor ground 
may be rendered so loose that, in some cases, it has not afforded a 
sufficient hold to the roots of corn and grass.* Double the quantity 
may, however, be laid upon strong cohesive soils, for it is not so easy 
to give them too large a dose ; but if cold, wet, or moorish, great 
circumspection is requisite in the application of this mar], for if the 
land be not previously well drained, it will only increase its tena¬ 
city. 
The earthy marls, if much mixed with clay, are only fit for light 
soils ; and, if applied to them, the quantity must be increased in 
proportion to the deficiency of calcareous matter. When of good 
' Perth Report; and Appendix to that of Cheshire, No. 3. 
