RECLAIMED LANDS. 107 



neighborhood, where there are hundreds of acres of boggy land, 

 covered at present with useless wild grapes, but which will 

 become the best of meadow land by the removal of the stagnant 

 water with which the soil is saturated. In this experiment 

 31 r. Shaw will surely succeed. 



Meanwhile we would ask the farmers of the county to inquire 

 into the proper mode of charging and crediting farm receipts 

 and expenses. 



Charles Burton, Chairman. 



RECLAIMED LANDS. 



WORCESTER. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



From a thorough examination of the premises, your commitee 

 believe Mr. Chamberlain's statement to be substantially correct, 

 and that his improvements have added much more to the value 

 of his farm than they have cost him ; and they further believe 

 that an annual dressing of good soil or compost, a judicious 

 management of the water, and occasionally a slight harrowing, 

 will continue to produce him good crops, unless he should 

 attempt to crop too heavily. 



We therefore award to Mr. Chamberlain the first premium of 

 ten dollars for reclaiming one acre of wet swamp-meadow land, 

 for a period of three successive years. 



Rejoice Newton, Chairman. 



Statement of Curtis Chamberlain. 



I commenced improvements in 1840 ; ten or twelve acres in 

 the whole, and one for which I claim premium. About one-half 

 of it was sprout land, where a growth of large wood was taken 

 off, and the other half was cleared, bogged, and burned over, and 

 had been mowed about thirty years. It was all worn out, and 

 was covered with white moss, bushes, and many old stumps. 

 Generally, I have subdued about one acre each year, when the 



