190 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



dred rods of ditch four feet wide and three feet deep was dug, which 

 caused the water to subside, and in a few years the marsh became 

 one of the finest of meadows, and the adjacent lands were in a con- 

 dition to raise wheat. j\Iore ditching was done from time to time, 

 and we came to use a part of the marsh for a garden. Cabbage grew 

 in abundance, onions yielded 600 bu. per acre. Tomatoes did well, 

 but were apt to rot unless trellised. Celery grew to perfection. But 

 the crop that paid the best was strawberries. They seemed to be right 

 at home on that marsh. How luxuriantly those plants grew ! How 

 they labored through the warm summer days to pump water to pro- 

 duce those enormous berries, which we sold at 20 cents per quart ! 

 The amount of water we sold in those berries would have made any 

 respectable milkman blush with shame. 



Several years ago a fire ran over a part of the marsh, burning 

 the peat from 6 to 12 inches deep. On this burnt strip the largest 

 potatoes were raised, also corn and wheat, but it was too low for 

 wheat except one dry season, when it grew straw five feet high and 

 wheat that yielded 50 bushels per acre. We are satisfied that many 

 of the marshes in Minnesota could be drained to great advantage 

 to the owner. 



By the use of tile drainage those unhealthy marshes may be- 

 come fruitful gardens and a blessing to humanity. 



:Mr. H. H. Chapman : At Grand Rapids we have this problem 

 before us, and it is one of the principal features. The marsh land 

 of northern Minnesota occupies the largest territory in that section, 

 and it is very largely composed of peat. If some of it can be re- 

 deemed it is a matter of very great importance to us. I do not think, 

 however, a tile drain would' be the practical method of draining the 

 land because of its peaty nature. We have resorted to open ditches, 

 and as far as our ditching goes, we find it costs us about 25 cents 

 per rod; a man working at this rate will earn from $1.50 to $1.75 

 per day. It pays to surround the marsh completely, as it keeps the 

 water from getting in. 



Borers. — Good, clean cultivation is worth more than all the 

 washes and dressings that can be applied to prevent borers. A good 

 wash, however, is often worth many times what it costs to apply and 

 will do much toward preventing the attacks of borers and other in- 

 sects. A I lb. can of concentrated lye dissolved in 2 or 3 gallons cf 

 water makes a very good tree wash. Another good wash can be 

 made of 5^4 pint pine tar, Yi pint carbolic acid, and 2 gallons soft 

 soap. These washes can easily be applied with an old whitewash 

 brush or a swab made of old rags tied on the end of a stick. The 

 wash should be applied two or three times to the trunk and large 

 limbs 'during the spring and early summer. — Okla. Exp. Sta. 



