RECLAIMING BOG LANDS. UQ 



cleared yet. On my farm this swampy land had been cleared in a 

 measure by taking off the wood to burn at the house, &c, and 

 then suffered to grow up to bushes. 



My farm contained a large amount of such swampy land. I 

 had several acres in a body lying between my house and inter- 

 val that I wanted to improve. After taking oil' the bushes, 

 which cost seven dollars per acre, I dug a ditch through it in the 

 best place to drain it, from three to four feet deep, and three feet 

 wide at the top, at about right angles with the banks of the up- 

 land. This main ditch was left open until all the rest were fin- 

 ished. I then dug two others, one on each side of the main ditch, 

 at about right angles with it and about the same size and depth, 

 near the ridge, in the best place to receive the spring and surface 

 water. In these, for want of draining tile, I used, for one side, 

 small poles, (ash and cedar), beginning, in all cases, at the upper 

 end to lay my drain, being careful to keep the water course cle ir. 

 On the other side, I used brick and flat stones. After making 

 them comparatively tight, I fdled in with' coarse sand or gravel to 

 within eight or ten inches of the surface, so as not to disturb the 

 sand with the plow when plowing. This method takes not oidy 

 the spring, but the surface water readily. But this did not fully 

 accomplish my object, for I found springy places on both sides of 

 my side ditches ; I then dug two other side ditches parallel with 

 the first ones, and not finding much water, I filled them at once 

 with-'coarse gravel from the bottom to near the surface, and found 

 that they took the surface water readily, but did not drain my land 

 sufficiently ; I then dug smaller ditches ( but about the same depth ) 

 from the side drains to wherever I found a spring on the ground. 

 These I filled at once with coarse gravel, as before described, unless 

 there was too great a flow of water — in that case, I laid underdrains, 

 and filled as before. In this way my object was accomplished, and 

 I can now raise on land that was worthless and barren for good 

 crops — corn, potatoes, turnips, wheat, barley and oats, and the 

 best of English hay, and get large crops. Since then, I have 

 done more at improving the same kind of land on other parts of 

 the farm, and have learned something from experience. 



Now, I dig the main ditch in the best place to drain the land, 

 and sometimes more than six feet deep,— it being very important 

 to have the main ditch deep enough to thoroughly drain. I then 

 make side ditches from my main ditch to wherever I find a spring 

 or very wet place. These ditches I fill, as before described, using 



