Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-03-17
the editor Of the Farmers Register, and

have had magical influence upon the sgri
culture Of Eastern and Middle Virginia.
This section of the State of Maryland be
longs TO the same period or geological for
nation with the tertiary or mari region O
Virgins; and the fossili(erous deposites ant
calcareous s,fate, although differing some
what in the amount Of calcareous matter, art
seferable to the same era, and contains shell
end deposi,es Of similar elements. Each o
those sections of Maryland and Virginlt
contains resources adequate TO bring !heI
lands to the highes, state of fertility. VIr
GINA is in the way of doingit. Let US fol'
low her example. The use of mari and
other calcareous manures have been used
with the most decided effect IN all that por-
ton Of that Slate corresponding with this
peninsula, and belonging TO the same geo.
logical period. For full and particular &C.
counts of The progress of agricultural i'm
provemen,, refer those who are interested
in the welfare Of our neighbo's and the
general prosperity Of the country, TO the
Farmers Reg lister, before referred to-to the
American Farmer, ye. published 10 Balli-
more, and to the Southern Planter. Those
works are worth examining TO afford infor-
NATION of the process by which WORKOUT
and exhausted lands have been restored to
fertility, and the means by which comps-
tency and abundance have been acquired,
where there was, a few years ago, Compare
tive poverty, desitulion and want.
About eighteen or twenty years ago the
Legislature Of Virginia authorized a geolo-
gical survey to be made under the direction
of the Board Of Public Woks, and Professor
VIM. B. Rogers, then Of William and Mary
College, was employed for that service. ]
have not the report which he made Of his
examination, bu, my recollection is that he
assigns to the tertiary epoch all tina, part Of
the State from line drawn from the mouth
Of Aqua creek, on the Potomac, to Cog
gins Point on the James river, and thence
further south. His examinations, as we'll as
she opinions Of Prof. Conrad, of Philadelphia,
and Of Doct. Morton, Of Virginia, assign This
peninsula Of Maryland to the same forma-
ton as the tertiary Of Virginia, and marked
by corresponding and continuous lines near
~ meridinal with those designating The
divisions Of the tertiary in lis different pc
riod<, as distinctly marked on the other side
of the river. In this opinion all biologists
must agree.
Among the calcareous deposites in this
tertiary region, the green sand formation
may be esteemed among the most valuable.
Professor Rogers, in letter 10 Mr. Ruffin,
says Of The New Jersey green sand; 81 have
made visit 10 the region in which it is
found, and have witnessed the most striking
evidences oil its utility as manure. Dur
ing this excursion, examined the mail in
oil its varieties, aad learned many interest
ing particulars, respecting its use, from in
,elligen. farmers, long experienced in apply
ing it to the SOIL" similar substance was
discovered by him in the mari Of Virginia,
underlying the whole country beyond the
Potomac and below the upper line of the
sertiary formation, corresponding with the
lands on the western side of the river, as
high up ss the mouth of Chccamuxen creek,
and probably as high as The Eastern branch
He said that as far as related to the mari
beds Of that region (of Virginia. his search
had been Unexpectedly successful and tina,
green sand was found mixed with "ordinary
sand, clay and shells, and in some instances
in so large proportion as no doub greatly
10 enhance the useful agency of the calca-
reous matter" May no. the value Of the
mari have been owing to, and in proportion
to, the green sand which i, contained, unless
where 4here was united larger amount Of
carbonate of lime than is found in some of
the fossillferous deposiles of that region ,
shall not, al least for the present, atlemp,
TO recommend the mode Of applying those
mineral resources to our lands. only de-
signed to speak of the geological character
of this county-iis susceptibility ofimprove-
ment, and capabilities of production, and to
point GU, the means and advantages within
our reach. This have attempted to do in
as concise a way as could be, and yet there
is fear that have been in some matters too
prolix. | have bat one object-lo excite
attention TO the subject-io awaken inquiry
as 10 the principles Of vegetable production
to lead the minds of others 10 reflect up
on the laws Of vegetable life-to point out
advantages which kind Providence has
blessed us with, and to induce experiments
to be made Of the rich and extensive depo-
sites of manure which are accessible to, aud
within the reach of, so many of our c,lzens.
Our lands have once been rich and produc-
tive. They can again be made SO. Many
have The means at hand. They should be
avsiled Of II the principle, that like pro-
duces like, be true-if The laws Of reproduce
ton be unchapging, and if human agency
is incapable Of producing in the natural and
material world any original element, then
is il also true and consistent with the laws
Of nature, That the earth will not produce
any tree or plant or vegetable species whose
;ro,od;epts are n nj IN he fonnd in the oil.
Such plants as draw their nourlshment main
ly from the atmosphere are not controlled
so rigidIy by the operation Of this law as
others ere. But they are few in number,
end confined to the leguminous tribe and do