The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-12-04
boro', but the enterprise seems to b
been abandoned.

Ii Is found IN TINS STATE IN greater dpuu-
dance than any other mari; very little oft,
however, has sufficient agricultural value
to justify handling, except to be spread on
the premises where the same is found Its
quality varies SO greatly that any attempt
to describe the various formations would ex-
ceed the limit of the present article. The
best test to apply when blue mari is found on
the land is to spread it on an acre, and try,
practically. IF it will pay.
GREEN SAND MARL.
In this deposit we have one of the least
known here, yet the most valuable of all
natural fertilizers if we look to its perma-
nent results. As its name indicates, this
formation as it comes from the soil is dark
green in color. When dried out it be-
comes several shades lighter in color. 1t
is in granules that crumble readily when
dry Take handful of green tea and rub
it in the hands until reduced to fine
particles, and you have the appearance Of
a handful of dry green sand mari. In
Maryland it lies imbedded at depth vary
ing from three to thirty feet beneath the
surface. Its origin appears to be conun-
drum to the scientific world, as it lies in
its deep bed in common with remains Of
the shark and the bones of prehistoric
beasts and reptiles. The best authorities
represent it to have existed at one time in
the form of minute living creations of shell
fish, each about the size of tobacco seed,
of the lowest form of animal life. So low
were they in the scale of being, that the
naturalist still expresses doubt whether
they had higher than vegetable life.
But minute, humble and beyond the ken
of any eye but the Allseeing, as were these
microscopic atoms, these tiny animalcules,
these many-chambered organisms
were, in their way, vastly more useful than
the giant reptiles that swan over them and
sprawled in the mud through which these
little shells were dispersed. For now that
all this dim and ancient life is exhumed
from its geological grave; now when the
spade of the laborer throws up clay and
shell and mud, and claw and tooth, from
the cool, sunless depths where they have
slumbered, heaven knows how long, we
find that these mites and pinheads of the
old ocean have left us broad, deep and
exhaustless bed of materials, as valuable in
its way as the vein of silver in the hill or
the stratum Of coal in the mountain side.
The area in which
THE TRUE GREEN SAND MARL
exists in this state has never been accurate
ly defined 1t has been found in Cecil and
Kent counties, on the Eastern Shore, and
in Anne Arundel and Prince Georges and
Charles counties, on the Western Shore.
In all of these localities, except Kent coun-
ty, it lies at such great depth below the
surface as to render its use almost imprac-
ticable. Many persons mistake blush or
greenish clay, which is quite common in
this state, for the real green sand mari, and
to this error may be charged much of the
unbelief in the value of the genuine article
as fertilizer. The value Of this green
sand mari agriculturally has nowhere been
so fully demonstrated as in the state OF
New Jersey. Fifty years ago it was used
to a limited extent, but not until about
thirty years ago did it come into general
use in. thai. state. To persons who can re-
collect the appearance of the barren fields
and sand hills Of Southern fvcw. Jew,
thirty-fve years ago, and compare 'sssss
with their present condition of productive
ness, there need be no better testimony
than the waving fields and rich meadows
of the present day to speak the praises OF
this wonderful agent in fertilization.
"Great Nature seems to smile as she
points to these mari formations, and to
saw: Lo here is fertility and fatness
In these moist pits beneath the water level,
I have for ages been hiding the store
vaults of the magnificent agriculture that
is to be. Here in embryo and darkness
have [ sequestered the verdure of future
springs, the broad and nodding blades OF
coming summers, the golden grain, the
purple clusters, the laden boughs OF
autumns that shall be. Itremains for you
mortals to apply the labor by which all
! this may be realized, by which the possible
is made the actual.
1t is greatly to be regretted that the
state Of Maryland has taken 50 little in
terest in the development of this valuable
agent. As early as 1860, Mr.. Philip I.
Tyson, state chemist, in his first report to
the Maryland Delegates, mentions the ex-
istence Of shell mari and green sand mari
in portions of our state, but no official
action has ever been taken on the subject.
Not so in New jersey, however; for, since
1860, that state has gone to great expense
in making public the advantages Of this
fertilizer by costly surveys and statistics
published for the information of her citi-
zens. The vast increase in the value of
New jersey lands, through this source
alone, has wrought for that state such an
increase in the basis of taxation as to amply
compensate it for the generous outlay it
made in its geological survey of the mari
regions and other official outlay in this
regard, whilst the handling and transporta-
ton by rail of this commodity, reaching
millions of bushels, has furnished employ
ment for thousands Of laborers; has inhuenc-
ed the construction of several lines of rail
ways, and has proven fair "bonanza" in
freights to the many railroads which have
hauled it through that state.
What strange creatures we arel Even at
this day, in this age of progress and intelli.
gence, sensible men are spending time and
money searching for the buried treasure
of Captain Kidd-the knowledge of which
is merely traditional-whilst here, right
under our feet, lies buried treasure of in
Gnitely more value than Kidd's mythical
gold; yet, true it is, we are not willing to
put forth an effort as people to bring il
to light, or to tell the suffering farmer
where and how to reach and use it.
A prominent agriculturist of Haddon-
field, N. j., in reporting on this subject tc
the United States Department of Agricul-
ture in 1870, said: "This deposit of fer
tilizing material has been ,oorth millions o.
dollars to the State, through the increased
productiveness of the district to which il
has been applied, as well as the influence il
has exerted in awakening and fostering a
liyelier interest in agricultural improve
ment Some lands in Camden county
which in 1880 were not worth S5 an acre
are now valued at upwards of 800 pei
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