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in them. There were, however, large deposits of greensand marl adjacent to them, and its use has been of the highest benefit. This is fully attested both by the agricultural and the geological reports of the State. The late State Geologist, Prof. Geo. H. Cook, said of them:

"It gives lasting fertility to the soils. I have never seen a field which has once been marled that is now poor. One instance was found where poor and sandy land was marled more than thirty years ago and has ever since been tilled without manure, and not well managed, which is still in good condition. Fruit trees and vines make a remarkable growth and produce fruit of high flavor when liberally dressed with this marl."

This is testimony that can not be doubted, and although the greensand marls of East Texas are not as rich as those of New Jersey, they are nevertheless rich enough to be of the same use to our lands. Nearly two hundred thousand tons of greensand marls are used yearly in New Jersey.

The first requisite to the best results is that the marl should be powdered as finely as possible before spreading it on the land. The greensand decomposes and is dissolved very slowly, and the finer it is powdered the more rapid will be its action. It should also be spread evenly and uniformly over the ground. It is ordinarily wet when first dug, but after a certain amount of drying it can be easily pulverized, or it can be dried more rapidly and rendered more friable by the mixture of a small amount of quicklime with it It could also be improved by composting it with barnyard manure or guano. Owing to the difficulty with which the greensand is dissolved the effects are not always so apparent the first year, but it is a lasting fertilizer, as is shown by the quotations given above.

The amount required will of course vary with the composition of the soil and the quality of the greensand. From three to ten wagon loads per acre would perhaps be the usual amount required, although some soils might need even more.

CALCAREOUS MARLS.

Lime is already used to a large extent in agriculture, and will be used more largely still. Its uses are to lighten clay soils and to make sandy soils more firm, while sour soils or swamp lands are sweetened by its application. In addition to this the chemical action brought about by its presence in the decomposition and rendering soluble of other