RENOVATING WASTE LANDS. 



8a 



order to keep them from starting in the future ; in many 

 places, in fact, the want of drainage may be the prime cause 

 of their growing. How many low, basined spots, have been 

 cleared and properly drained, and thereby become very pro- 

 ductive. There are still a great many more. They produce 

 nothing and never will, till they are thoroughly reclaimed by 

 draining and taking away the bushes, as I said in the other 

 case, root and branch. I know that labor, earnest and per- 

 sistent, coupled with " common sense," is necessary for the-, 

 emergency ; but who ever heard a man that had done a like 

 job, say that he was sorry for having done it, but rather was 

 glad, and ever ready to point it out as an achievement of 

 which he was proud and with which he was satisfied, if for 

 nothing more, the better looks of his field or pasture. 



Many of us who live upon what ought and might be good 

 farms are not worthy the name of farmer. We are too 

 unconcerned, negligent, or indolent. The careful farmer 

 does not allow such obstructions or sure marks of slothfulness 

 to mar the beauty of his fields, but has an eye out continually 

 for anything that may, in any way, detract from the beauty 

 or productiveness of his farm. 



There is another class of waste land that we see too often, 

 "and that is by the sides of fences. Indeed, some seem (by 

 the looks of the golden rod, blackberry and raspberry bushes, 

 and thistles, &c., on either side of the fence,) to think they 

 are an ornament, and perhaps forming an incomplete hedge, 

 thereby serving the two ends of ornament and fence ; but I 

 cannot see the point in either, for I consider bushes beside 

 fences one great cause of breechy cattle, and certainly there 

 is no beauty added thereby, and certainly they occupy good 

 and naturally fertile soil in most cases. My advice is, take 

 them out, root and branch, and then keep all others out in 

 the future. 



In conclusion, I would urge the necessity of improving 

 still more extensively the lower lands which have laeen receiv- 

 ing for ages past the wash and sediments of the surrounding 

 hills, thereby rendering them very fertile and consequently 



