30 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



the Adiolo Avith a coat of compost manure, and by the middle of 

 the same montli sowed it with grass seed — using at this time 

 only liords grass and red top. The seed, owing to the heavy 

 rains which followed in October, did not take well, and in the 

 succeeding March, 1854, a quantity of clover, with an additional 

 quantity of herds grass was sown. These took well, and the result 

 was tliat three and a half tons of a good quality of hay was cut 

 in the month of July of that year. In the spring of 1855 

 another coat of compost manure was applied over the meadow; 

 and upon the higiier ground about it, a coat of guano was ap- 

 plied with the happiest results. It was again mown in July 

 last, and over six and a half tons of the best quality of herds 

 grass and clover hay was cut. A sample of the herds grass I 

 herewith present to the committee, which measured six feet in 

 height wlien cut. 



The estimated cost of reclaiming the meadow is ^150 00 



1854 — Receipts from four tons hay at ^14 



per ton, .... $oG 00 



1855 — Receipts from six and a half tons 



hay, at $16 per ton, . . 104 00— $1G0 00 



Thus it will be seen that in two years the receipts have more 

 than paid for the whole cost of labor. My experience in reclaim- 

 ing meadow land leads me to the belief that it is more practi- 

 cahle for the farmer, when reclaiming similar lands, to sow them 

 down to grass instead of cultivating the same, as is usual, by 

 planting with corn or potatoes two or three years. Every time 

 the earth is removed by the plough, the wild roots are disturbed 

 before they have become decomposed, and cultivators find it 

 difficult to control them. 



I would also invite the attention of the committee to land 

 which I purchased of David Bursley, Esq., in the spi'ing of 1854. 

 A portion of this land was poor and unproductive wdien he came 

 int6 possession of it, but wdiile imder his skilful management was 

 made as productive as any grass land in this section of the State. 

 He had successfully restored it, by ploughing in frequent green 

 crops of millet. The first year I purchased of him, one acre 

 yielded three and a half tons of hay, and in July, 1855, from 

 two acres I cut more than six tons of hay ; and here let me add, 



