Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-01-26
Fur the Standard.
Fur the Standard.
CORRESPONDENCE.
PowELToN, RICHMOND County, N c.,
January 1st, 1859 s

'ahuary lst fooo Us5
Ny DEAR SRI herewith send you a box ck-
tanning some specimens of mari, or calcareous nS&
ter of kind which has recently been discovered
on my lands and that of some of my neighbors. If
it is marl any substance containing lime in sufi-
cient quantity to make it valuable as fertilizer, it
will certainly be Of great importance to the farmers
in this immediate section of the State as nothing of
the kind has ever been discovered here before
Whether it is mari or not it certainly contains al
considerable portion of lime, it efervesccs freely
on applying any Of the strong acids.
shall feel much obliged, asAwell as many Of my
neighbors, for an analysis of it and short essay
on the preparation and application of it as ma
nure. . .-r.... -: Z ~
would remind you that intend your analy sis
and essay for publication in the papers circulating
in this part of the State - -
Your early attention to this will much oblige +.
Your humble servant, &C., t~
P. NJ. POWELL.
P. S.-This calcareous substance is found out
cropping in the valley of Buffalo and Cheeks
creeks, in the upper part of Richmond and lower
part of Montgomery counties, and is inexhaustible.
RALEIGH, January II, 1859. :
To Col p H. Po,osU: - -
SRI have completed the analysis Of the ,narly
sandstones of Richmond county, received by the
hands of Mr. Holden, 50 far as to obtain the quan.
tity Of the principal fertilizer which they contain
These sandstones are red and greenish easily broken
and wten exposed to the air, crumble and become
soil in the course of year after being taken
from the quarry, excepting the harder parts The
red rock has the following composition:
wafer, ...!...... ........ 900
oaho, ..... ......... 66.ZO
Alumina and per oxide of iron, -. 92O
carbonate OF lime, .............. 1850
Carbonate of magnesia ....... 80
nr1o Ia
of fertlizing matter including the alumina and IRON
Aumina, however, exists only in small proportion
in the 9.20 and while it IS not properly fertil-
izer, performs in the soil an important function
The greenish rock has the following composition;
Water, .............. ...j...... 640
Z sand, ........ b7.20
z Alumina and per oxide Of iron, 1920
Carbonate OF lime, ............ 1880
Carbonate of Magpesia, ,,......g -079,
The fertilizing matter in this sample amounts to
S2.79 per cent Hence those parts of, the marty
sandstone which has the mot Of those greenish
particles will be found richest in fertizing matter
There is great abundance OF the mary sandstone
in this formation. Itmakes by decomposition
rich SOIL but has never been used fertilizer it.
SELF but nearly one-third of it is important in
SOIL and may always be ranked in the class of fer
tzers tappears to me it may be used plantations
where it occurs. l do not suppose it possesses
commercial value, but if it can be crushed cheaply
and mixed with organic matter leaves the refuse Of
stalls and stables twill add materially to the re-
sources of plantation, especially when the soil is
in want Of lime. Nov, It is one Of the most i'm
rortant inquiries whether soil is wanting in this
material, or any other material and would recon-
mend that samples Of soil Of your county, which
have been apparently warn cont q h6ks lost their
original fertility be sent TO the horstosy for analy
; sis and also the samples Of this maffy sandstone,
(selecting those only which crumble BY exposure to