SECRETARY'S REPORT. 79 



repair to the rest of the farm. No farmer is entitled to the name, who 

 lets such fertile spots run wild with flags and rushes, vocal with the 

 music of frogs and tree-toads. One reason why these places have so rarely 

 been cleared up, and made the beauty of the farm, is that the farmer 

 has never seen it done, and does not know how to set about, nor feel 

 a confidence in the work. To the more intelligent, the great excuse 

 of having too much to do, is ever potent and ever present even to crowd 

 out the most important of all reforms, the saving from waste of riches 

 already existing, and lying ready at hand to be revealed and made 

 ever available." * 



FKOM W. R. FLINT. 



" The level, impervious subsoil land of Anson, has bceli much im- 

 proved by back-furrowing, and deepening the dead furrow for drains. 

 Draining is not extensively practiced in this town. I know of quite 

 a number of small swamps drained to good effect by sinking a ditch, 

 say three and one-half or four feet, using stone or cedar for drains, 

 covered with earth. The land was thus completely reclaimed, where 

 water stood six or eight inches deep through taost of the season. 

 One such drain, if built between the high and low land, will iisually 

 drain all below it. The ditch will cost about as much, after finished 

 and the ground leveled off, as a good stone wall or c6dar fence, pet 

 rod, and will be as durable." 



FROM GEOKGE BEAKCE. 



" Swamp and meadow lands, in Minot, have been reclaimed, to some 

 extent, at an estimated cost of fifteen dollars per acre. These lands 

 prove the most profitable lands in to war." 



FROM M. H. FRENCH. 



"Swamp and meadow lands in Corinth, have been reclaimed to but 

 a limited extent, but with good results. At what cost I am not able 

 to state. We have much of this kind of land in town, which, a few 

 years ago, was considered worthless, but is now beginning to be reck- 

 oned among our most valuable lands." 



FROM E. HAYES 



"The meadow lands in Berwick have been reclaimed to a small ex- 

 tent. We plough them after haying, harrow them down, and sow on 

 leached ashes and hay seed. It costs about fifteen dollars per acre to 

 do this." 



