Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-12-02
LETTER, FROM Dir. ToMPKINs.
I. JACKSON, northampton Co., N. G.
Novamhar % 1874

-, JACKSON northampton Co., N. G.
81 g November %, 1864.
TO his Ercelteacy, David 8. Reid:
SIR According to the directions OF Prof, EN-
MONS the State Geologist, have been in this Coun-
tv for several days examining soils and marls ana
taking specimens for Analysis. and collecting such
practical facts in agriculture as may be interesting
to the farmers of the State. My attention was first
directed to deposit of shell mari, upon the land of
Capt. Collin Barnes, situated il the north eastern
part of the County. on Kerby's Creek, which IS a
tributary of the Meherrin River. This deposit OF
mari has been known to Capt. Barnes many years
for he made application of it to small held a.
bout twenty five years since, which is think the
first marling that ever done in this State, and
it will not be out of place to state here that TINS was
done at the instance of gentleman from Peters
burg Va, who was near Capt. Barnes at that time
working Cotton Seed Oil Factory and suggested
the of the mari for the reason that he was aware
of the great which had attended the marilng
of Mr.. Edmund Ruffin, of Prince George County,
Va This field was so poor that it would not, before
it was married. produce more than barrel OF corn
per acre but although it has been cultivated twelve
years out of the twenty-five since it was married
without any other Of improving it save the res
ting every other year-th has averaged This present
year four barrels of corn per acre, which is OF most
excellent quality, very large and we'll filled next
visited the farm of Mr.. James B. Barnes upon which
there is very valuable deposit of shell mari about
a mile from the Meherrin river, which can be OBJ
tanned at small expense. Alter visiting tnese TWO
farms next went to several others Immediately On
tensvs deposits of blue and red mari, both of which
may possess other elements of fertility besides the
carbonate of lime for which the shell mari is con-
Sidered valuable besides which there Is the phoS-
phate of lime which exists in the heart OF the SHE'LL
These marls upon the Mcherrn have been known to
exist for years. and some few successful experiments
have been made with them and still those who have
them have made but little use of them. One expe-
riment made by jobs 7. Branch, Esq, upon his
farm near the river deem of Importance and wor-
thy of mention. He took possession of his farm
about eight years since, at which time he cultivated
a certain field of one hundred acres upon which he
made 100 barrels of corn. The second year from
this time he cultivated the field again in corn
and made 1877 barrels He then married thirty hVe
acres of it with the blue mari at the rate OF 23o
bushels per acre, and last year he cultivated the
same field in corn without any other means OF I'M
provement and he gathered from it $50 barrels of
good corn. This experiment together with that OF
Capt Barnes affords still more testimony to the fact
that line is the basis of agricultural Improvement
If the soil unon which we propose to use lime be
already highly calcarec it would be evident to the
practical farmer that its would only serve as
poison to plants, and if there does not exist much
vegetable matter in the soil for Its action II snoulo
be used only in a small quantity.
found the blue mari as high up the river as the
farm of Joseph M. Rogers, Esq, upon which there
is to be found large quantities OF muck besides OF
the best quality. 1t is proper to state here that
these marls deposits the Meherrn are to be found
PRINCIPALLY upon the left south bank of the river
The lands upon the Meherrin have think been
greatly undcrvalued heretofore; but II those VINO
own them will avail themselves of the mari and
muck which they have in such great abundance,
they can soon have their farms to produce the max
imum crops of country. Where land which re-
OllireS lime can be married or lined at an expense OF
ten dollars per acre do not hesitate to say that 1t
will paw and with the mari beds on and near the
Meherrin the means of getting shells up the koan-
oke and from Norfolk the farmers nearly all over the
county of Northampton can make an application OF
lime to their lands with profit Those lands of the
county situated upon the Roanoke are in their prIn-
tive state highly fertile, though such as arc called
first low grounds subject to be overiowcd by
treSlets, which of course must detract from their
value. The lands called second low grounds are
considered to be the most valuable because they arc
not subject to be overhowcd. There is the same
fault existing in the farming of this county which
is with the entire eastern part of the State
great mperfection in the drainage of lands which
dminishes the crops and prevents the thorough &C
ton of fertilizers Through the kindness OF several
gentlemen have been furnished with variety OF
specimens of bones and shells taken from marl-pits
which will be of advantage in the survey. Among
other things which have obtained is a tooth taken
from the marl-pit of John T. Branch, Esq, which
weighs pound and ten ounces, and measures ten
inches in circumference. This tooth from appear
belongs to Of that class of animals called
mammalia. From the quality of the lands the means
for improving them and the advantages for transpor-
tation of produce, with proper degree of energy
and intelligence can no reason why the farm
voraby with part of the State
Most respectfully, yours,
j. F. TOMPKINS,
dssjs init IIeOIoriH