RECLAIMING SWAMP LANDS. 23 



towards the shore. In order to secure perfect drainage, I found 

 it necessary to excavate a ditch along the easterly side of this 

 acre, which I connected with the main ditch by a shorter ditch 

 across the south end, making thirty-one and one-half rods of 

 ditch, three feet wide at the top and two at the bottom, and 

 three feet deep, which cost by contract thirty-three and one-third 

 cents per rod. And here I wish to speak of the condition of 

 this tract previous to 18G2. The surface was extremely uneven, 

 being obstructed by immense bogs, or, as they have always been 

 termed in this locality, hassocks, a name given to a hump of 

 earth rising abruptly to the height of one or two feet, and in 

 some instances three feet, and covered with a coarse, wide grass, 

 which sends its strong roots deep into the peat, and often stick- 

 ing into the clay subsoil, making it impossible to extricate them 

 with the strongest team, without first cutting beneath them with 

 the bog-knife. The low part was adjacent to a brook, and nearly 

 on a level with it, so as to be overflowed by it after even a sum- 

 mer shower. The grass which grew upon it had to be spread 

 upon the hassocks, or carried upon poles to the shore, in order 

 to dry it, and was of so inferior a quality as to barely pay the 

 expense of securing it. 



When, seated upon the mowing-machine and horse-rake the 

 present year, I glided easily over the smooth surface which now 

 presents itself to your eyes, rejoicing in the realization^ two 

 tons of good timothy to the acre, it was almost impossible to 

 believe that I had possessed patience to stand ankle deep, if not 

 knee deep, in the water year after year, and swing a heavy 

 scythe over those hateful hassocks, to secure half a ton of coarse 

 hay only fit for bedding for my cows. Having first attended to 

 the matter of drainage in the manner indicated in a preceding 

 paragraph, on the 1st day of July, 1864, I commenced burning. 

 As there was a light crop of grass standing, the fire passed 

 rapidly over the surface, but did not work as effectually in the 

 sod as was desirable. Many of the hassocks continued to burn 

 for several days without showing any signs of weakness. The 

 sod was next subjected to a severe harrowing, occupying man 

 and team one-half day. It was then permitted to dry until 

 August, when another fire was set, which completed the destruc- 

 tion of the grass roots, and left only a few hassocks, which were 



