50 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Topsficld. Some years since it was offered to our society for 

 premium ; only one of the committee, however, visited it, and, 

 for some informality about the statement, it was rejected. 



After Mr, Phillips had so clearly opened the way, I began, 

 ten years since, the work of reclaiming wet meadow and swamp 

 land, with which I was surrounded, being on a peninsula, and 

 joined to him below. I opened a main drain through my 

 meadow, and bedded up, by cross-ditches, about two acres, 

 which I should not do again, the cross-ditches and bedding 

 being unnecessary, grubbing and gravelling being better. 



During these ten years, I have grubbed and gravelled over 

 some half dozen acres of wet meadow and swamp land ; making, 

 together with that of Mr. Phillips, all in one body, twelve 

 acres, which, from being unproductive, have not failed to pro- 

 duce, taken together, not less than one ton of hay to the acre, 

 every year since. The hay is not the best stock hay, but sells 

 well in the Boston market. 



The meadow, which I now offer for consideration, has been 

 reclaimed about six years. It was covered with bushes ten 

 feet high, which were grubbed and burned, and the land seeded 

 down with herds-grass and redtop, and it has produced two 

 tons to the acre every year since the first. This year we esti- 

 mated, by weighing one load, that the yield was three tons of 

 herds-grass, redtop, and other grasses. The expense thirty 

 dollars per acre. Twenty dollars worth of fuel was preserved 

 from two acres, in pine stumps and roots. 



Now, if the reclaiming of these half dozen acres within a 

 stone's throw of our dwelling, added to as many more adjoin- 

 ing, all in full view of the public highway, and in the heart of 

 the village, is no improvement, so far as dollars and cents are 

 concerned, it is, at least, a relief to the eye, and a gratification 

 to the taste and feelings of every good farmer who has had 

 opportunity to observe the change. The damage to the health 

 of the neighborhood, which so much stagnant water and putre- 

 faction would make, must be certainly lessened. These re- 

 claimed lands are exempt from some of the foul weeds of 

 uplands. I have never seen white weed, lady's slipper, nor 

 the Canada thistle, on these lands. They will always make 



