FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 175 



Mr. N. A. Dunuiug read a paper on 



farmers' clubs, 



ill which lie advocated ;the organization and maintenance of farmers' clubs 

 for the good they accomplish in furnishing means of enlarging the farmer's 

 store of knowledge, — as a source also of intellectual growth] and social 

 improveuuiit. 



EVENING SESSION. 

 Prof. K. C. Carpenter gave his lecture on 



OUR PATENT SYSTEM. 



(See lectuios given at more than one Institute.) 



Mr. I. B. Woodhouse, county drain commissioner, read the following paper 

 on tlie 



CONDITION OF THE DRAINED SWAMP LANDS OF INGHAM COUNTY. 



It is only because I have a firm belief that there is a mine of wealth undevel- 

 oped in the swamp lands of this county, and that discussion and investigation 

 by such bodies of men as compose this institute must lead to a better under- 

 standing of what steps are necessary and best adapted to bring these lands 

 under cultivation, that I have consented to come before you and try to give 

 what aid I can, by calling attention to such matters as have come to my notice, 

 and giving expression to certain opinions I have formed upon the subject ; and 

 I trust that your great interest in the matter may render you blind to all faults 

 in the manner in which it is presented. 



Th(? county of Ingham is composed of sixteen townships, containing 354,227 

 acres according to the United States survey. Of these, as near as I can 

 determine, about one-seventh, or in the neighborhood of fifty thousand acres, 

 was originally swamp land, or land which, in a state of nature, was too wet for 

 cultivation, and required some artificial drainage to render it suitable to raise 

 the various crops which are cultivated in the country. These lands differ fully 

 as much in quality, depending upon their location and situation, as do the 

 uplands. Many persons suppose all muck lands similar — that a swamp is a 

 swamp, and that though the timber may differ, yet the soil of all swamp lands 

 is in fact the same — that is, muck. Though this, in one sense, may be true — 

 that the soil commonly called muck is composed entirely of vegetable matter, 

 and thus far may be all alike — yet it differs so widely in its situation and 

 condition, in what it will and will not produce, that, as I said before, it is no 

 more uniform than the soil of the uplands. The differences of the soil are 

 generally indicated by tlie timber and other vegetation growing upon it, and a 

 close observer has little difficulty in forming an opinion, from an examination 

 of the vegetation upon a given piece of wet land, of wiiat will be required to 

 reclaim it and render it capable of producing the various crops most suitable 

 for such lands. That upon which grows black ash, elm, soft maple, swamp 

 oak, etc., generally requires nothing but to be rid of the surplus moisture to 

 produce immediately the very best yields of all kinds of spring crops, and 



