CUMBERLAND COUNTY SOCIETY. 63 



of many similar fields in his town, and if it proves efficacious in 

 exterminating a species of brake or fern called polypod, by some, 

 podgum, which prevails in them, it will satisfy many farmers who 

 are looking to the results of his experiments, and encourage them 

 to follow his example. 



Your committee then examined the farm of Mr. Alvah Weeks, in 

 Standish. Mr. W. purposes a general improvement, which com- 

 prises, among many minor details, the restoring an old orchard; 

 setting out new trees enough to cover about two acres already en- 

 closed by stone wall: clearing some four acres of pasture; ditching 

 and underdraining ; building fence and stone wall. Mr. W. exhib- 

 ited one piece of land to the committee with the remark that, "un- 

 less grasshoppers carried knapsacks filled with food, they could not 

 live upon it," and said that he hoped to bring to a productive con- 

 dition, even that forlorn looking place. 



Mr. J. R Thompson, who also entered his farm in Standish, 

 proposed an improvement of a rough and fern-covered pasture, under- 

 draining of fields, &c. The stone underdrains already laid by Mr. 

 T., cost, he says, "just about one dollar a rod, completed." And 

 judging from what can be seen at the ends, they are very substan- 

 tially and properly constructed. 



Mr. Josiah Moulton of Standish, whose farm was entered, pur- 

 poses an increase of an acre and a half of land to his orchard ; surface 

 and underdrains ; sinking a well on a hill where there appear strong 

 indications of living water, which he intends to carry to his barn ; 

 building good wall in place of a poor brush and stone fence ; improve- 

 ments in his buildings and to his farm generally. Mr. M. bad 

 already commenced in good earnest upon his barn cellar. 



Mr. Ebenezer Moulton and son, also of Standish, propose to obtain 

 a premium by building a new barn and shop, by general repairs to 

 old buildings; by setting out fruit trees; building new fence; making 

 smooth a rough field of about twenty acres extent ; and by surface and 

 underdraining. The underdrains already laid by Mr. M. have cost, 

 he said, "about 75 cents a rod." A markedly improved condition of 

 the land, in consequence of the drainage was evident, and he was, he 

 said, well satisfied that in a district where land cost only twenty-five 

 dollars an acre wherever it required draining, and consequently was 

 of lower market value than the average, it paid well to underdrain. 



