Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-06-15

10 the use of mari in Virginia. fIo was
very enthusiastic on the subject aud there
is no doubt but what no much improved
his two farms, one in Prince Georges and
the other in Hanover,by tho uso of mari,
clover and peas L1tcr in farming life he
used green sand mari, which in Virginia is
an admixturo of carbonate of limes and
green sand, the active principle of which
is potash. The mari (Eoccnc) uuderlies
the carbonate Of lime ('rer,ary) aud extends
from the head of the tide to about rs to 30
miles below Richmond, aud is found on
the James aud Pamunkey principally.
Prof W. b. Rodgers, 10 his geological
survey Of Virginia, gives several analyses Of
this mari, particularly Of tho deposits found
on the Pamunkey. Green sand mari has
decided advantages over the other as the
potash it coutains makes it very favorable
to the production of clover. Wo have all
heard of the wonderful effeots Of it on the
land Of New Jersey, and Prof II. d.
Rogers, brother to Prof W lS. Rogers, in
his Geological survey of New Jersey,
spe~ks Of the great effects produced by it on
the sandy, thin lands of that State, some
of them he says, not being much more
than sand banks. Before tho war, when
our farmers had plenty of hands aud much
more capital than :hey have now, marling
was quite extensively rescrtcd to. Now they
are ncclcctug it great doal too much.
Though they cannot pow generally mari
large areas most of them could 60 over q
small quantity each year. put that 10 clover
and be gradually extending the area and
improving their folds. Recently ground
limestone has been brought forward as a
better improver of lands than buried lime,
though it seems to have been used for
considerable period and recently revived
We have had frequent inquiries on this
subject aud have replied that VIC could sec
no reason iu its chemical or mcchaoical
condition why it should oct better or even
as well as buuied Iimc, but that there might.
DC some reason for its action not cxplicabIc
ny chemical scieucc-probabIy on the p1iu-
ciplc that some mineral waters have decided
action on the human economy, where
chemical analysis shows scarcely anything
in sufficient quantity to be medicinal The
principle reason VIC have scen ;dduccd for
tho agricultural action of ground limestone
Is that it contains much carbonio acid,
which is promoter Of plapt growth, but
then the atmosphere and the rain waters
percolatlng the earth have plenty Of this
Ingredient for the use Of plants. Another
argument | have seen sfor, its use is that
vegetation along certainS Nc Adamizcd
road was much better than that little
further off, supposed to be produced by the
PARTICLES of lime raised by travelling and
settling Oh tho grass pear the road; but
this may be fallacious. For some reason
vegetation is always better on either
side of trodden path than further off
aud generally on roadsid IS. We have
recently seen au experiment reported by
correspondent Of the Couat,y Gentleman
(Wm. Reed, of PennsyIvania) where 500
pounds ground limestone at cost of 81 20
produced So I bushels wheat to the acre:
salt, l barrel at cost Of 81; produced
~ bushels to the acre; while gu,no, 40S
pounds, cost S450, produced 1913 bushels
to the acre; phosphate, SO ponds, cost
81 %, produced 37.5 bushels to the acre;
bone dust, 500 pounds, cost IS lG, pro-
duccd 81 bushels per acre; aud fertilizer
yielded lib bushels per acre. Mr. Reed
processes to have condu ,ted tho experiment
with much care and that tho Yields were
by the thrasher's measure. These results,
if true, arc astonishing as regards the
ground limestone and salt, the ground limo
stone beat them all when reference is made
to cost. Well the farmers must try ground
limestone and compare the results. Salt
has been frequently tried on wheat, and
it is singular with what varying opinions
OF its effects. The experience of English
tar"ers has however generally been in its
favor, if we may trust some recent reports
We can scarcely credit that one barrel of
salt 6 tushels) should have more than
doubled the crop of wheat.
An evidence wc did not mention of the
general efficacy Of lime is that limestone
soils are almost universally good-wo mean
where found natural!y-and that they
yield certain crops Of wheat, grass, clover,
and usually produce well tho other crops
But for tho limestone lands of England tho
country could never have attained its
present degrc of fertility; and the line
stone lands in Virginia are tho most valu-
able and most productive. We have spoken
in a former Dumbcr of
TIE VALUE OF STOCK IN TIE IMPROVEMENT
OF LANDS.
This point is not sufficiently appreciated
One kind of stock alone, sheep, could be
made to effect wonderful Improvement in
our lands. There arc large areas of land
10 Virginia and the Southern States now
unproduc,ive, Idead, taxpayiug capital
besides the loss of interest on tho capital,
which would feed millions of sheep,
which would yield largo percentage in
wool, lambs and mutton, besides improving
the lands greatly. If farmers would in
crease their native ewes, and uso only