The general effect of this red marl is perceptible in almost every plant and tree in that vicinity. Fruit-trees are especially vigorous and free from disease. Flowering shrubs, roses particularly, seem not to have been touched by any insect. I pulled up a mullein stalk growing on a naked mound of this marl, which measures nine feet in height, and the flower stem, which is covered with buds, is four feet in extent. The trees, excepting peach alone, are more thriving than those I have anywhere seen. The peach-trees have the yellows. Moss roses growing in rich grass are remarkably strong; Mr. M. finds that they do better closely surrounded by grass than in clear ground. He has ten kinds of healthy cherry-trees, including the red and white ox-heart, and the bull's eye. He has freely given, and wishes to distribute buds and grafts to all those who ask for them. Mr. M. has very healthy apricots, which have yielded fine fruit. _He smoked the blossoms with sulphur and pitch_, and all the fruit was perfect. _This smoking was done in the evening._
Some of the fields had never been but partially cultivated, on account of being so swamped that cattle mired in them. He made in one four-acre field a drain ten rods long, and three feet deep, filled in with coarse stone. This drain formed a _perpetual spring for his cattle_, and this barren field has now buckwheat of at least _thirty bushels per acre_. _One and a half bushels_ of seed was sowed per acre. No manure needed. This drain cost $1.75. Twelve acres were drained in the same style at a cost of $150; this field is now fine, and asks for no manure from New York, or Nyack marl. He prefers the same amount of marl to best New York city manure for all grains and grapes.
Mr. M. has the old English yew thriving in open air in winter. The European mountain ash, white and red linden, red maple, weeping ash, weeping beech, weeping elm, Madeira nut, (one five years old bearing fruit,) Spanish chestnut now in fruit, (this tree has also some blossoms on it at this time.) Apricots grafted on plum stock are very thrifty.
A REMARKABLE HORSE.--In passing through Mr. Maxwell's barn-yard, I noticed a couple of horses, one of which was hoppled with a strong iron chain. What mischievous young horse have you there? He replied, it is my old family mare Kate, who has carried me, and my wife and children, safely for the last one and twenty years! I bought her when she was about four years old, but she will break fences now (wooden ones) with her irons on, she is so active and cunning.