RECLAIMED MEADOWS. 55 



The wliolc amount of hay gathered from tliis piece, of one and 

 a half acres, in one year, after the turf was inverted, was seven 

 tons, 170 lbs., or four and two-thirds tons to the acre. I 

 estimate the value of this hay, as it now sells at twenty dollars 

 per ton, amounting to ..... . $141 70 



Incidental expenses, viz. : — 



Grubbing, smoothing, and clearing, fifteen days' 



labor, at one dollar per day, . . . $15 00 



Paid for ploughing, 7 00 



Compost applied, estimated at . . , 20 00 



Paid for grass seed, 4 25 



Labor in curing the crop, at two dollars per 



ton, ... . . . . 16 50 



Other services on and about the field, carrying 



on the manure, &c., say . . . . 10 00 



Total amount of cost of cultivating, . . . $72 75 



Balance, net income for the year, .... $68 95 



I estimate the land worth three hundred dollars an acre, 

 (because it will command that price.) Before I commenced 

 the improvement it yielded nothing. If any of the farmers — 

 for I do not profess to bo one — ^liave done better with their 

 lands, I should like to see how it has been done. Those who 

 saw the grass growing, of whom were several intelligent 

 observers of such culture, spoke of it as being as successful an 

 experiment as they have ever seen. 



Salem, November 14, 1853. 



James Taylor s Statement. 



The piece of bog meadow to which I invite your atten- 

 tion, contains about thirty-three acres. I bought the lot 

 in 1847, for which I paid twelve dollars an acre. This 

 meadow had formerly been covered with a heavy growth of 

 wood, consisting of maple, birch, and spruce. The principal 

 part was cut off about six or eight years ago. There was some 

 wood on a part of it that I cut, that brought me one hundred 

 and sixty-eight dollars, besides paying for chopping. 



