RECLAIMED MEADOWS. 33 



outlays, and wait years for the profits. Tliere are many mead- 

 ows in this county, owned by just such persons, which now serve 

 only to contaminate the air by their unwholsome exhalations, 

 and are of no profit to their owners, but which may thus be 

 changed permanently into the most productive and profitable 

 parts of the farm, by a process which will not only pay its own 

 cost yearly, but will actually yield a profit. 



We suggest that if Mr. Payson had mixed his guano with a 

 liberal portion of gravel, before applying it, his experiment 

 would have been more complete. We noticed that where gravel 

 had been applied, on the north side of his meadow, the grass 

 put forth more vigorously than elsewhere. No soft meadow will 

 continue for a long time level and smooth without gravel. It 

 gives firmness to the soil, and solidity of texture to the grass. 



Mr. Osborne's meadow, which we viewed on the 6th of July, 

 is part of a farm which, four years ago, looked as uninviting as 

 rocks, and woods, and rugged steeps could make it. But with 

 untiring industry and perseverance in overcoming obstacles, 

 directed by skill and good taste, he has made the desert blossom 

 as the rose. 



His meadow differs widely from Mr. Payson's. It might, per- 

 haps, be called swamp sivale land, and lies so high that some 

 persons might doubt Avhether it comes within the rules of the 

 society. Your committee, however, conclude that it does. It 

 was rugged and hard to reduce, but it has yielded to Mr. Os- 

 borne's indomitable energy and skill ; and when we saw it, this 

 unpromising, unsiglitly swamp was drained, cleared of bushes 

 and stones, and hal become a well cultivated and productive 

 spot. 



It will be seen by Mr. Osborne's statement, that he has spent 

 much profitable labor upon it. He has kept no other team 

 than a single horse, which has performed all team labor, except- 

 ing the first ploughing. We were astonished to learn what an 

 amount of rough, severe labor could be accomplished, without 

 any injury to the animal, by one horse, judiciously trained and 

 managed. 



John Keeley, Chairman. 



6* 



