SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 249 



more than thirty years, that annually produces about half 

 or three quarters of a ton of "bog-meadow hay" per acre, 

 which has been carried out upon poles every one of those 

 years; for no animal can travel over it. I wish I could 

 recount the number of cattle that have been mired and 

 lost, while trying to get in, to crop the early spring grass 

 upon that little green spot. It contains about seven acres, 

 in an oval shape, surrounded by rocky hills, and was un- 

 doubtedly once a shallow pond ; for the muck is from one 

 foot to four feet deep, lying upon a hard bottom. It is 

 not apparently fed by springs, but in a wet time is filled 

 with water from the surrounding hills, which, when it 

 rises above the surface, runs oif into a little brook at the 

 lower end. Now this is the only level, smooth piece of 

 mowing land upon the farm, and it has been mowed and 

 "poled" probably more than half a century. Let us put 

 the account into figures, in the shape of debit and credit. 



The Old Pond Meadow, Dr. 



For the care and cultivation, ditching, improv- 

 ing, manuring, nothing. That's cheap. "Two 

 times naught is nothing" (vide Daboll). "Set 

 that down." "Yes, sir." . 00 



To seven cows, heavy with calf, got mired and 



lost seven different springs, worth $20 each, . . 140 . 00 



To seven other cattle and horses that got mired 

 at different times and were got out — Damage 

 and labor of getting them out, "dod rot 'em," 

 $3 each, 21 . 00 



To extra labor of poling out hay for 50 years, . . . 125 . 00 



To sundry half pair of boots and shoes, mired 



down and lost, say one every year, 25 . 00 



To going to the cedar swamp ten times, (twelve 

 miles,) to cut new hay poles, (240 miles 

 travel,) 4 cts. a mile, 9 . 60 



$320.60 



