and there were small numbers of fat cattle, 

 and tolerably good pastures in the spring. 



There are large salt marshes between 

 New- York and Philadelphia. These marshes 

 produce a kind of reed or flag, such as those 

 in the fens in England of which besoms are 

 made. That sort of stuff is mown for hay, 

 brought up to the high land, and laid before 

 cattle, during the winter : but not much of 

 it is eaten. The inhabitants deem it a sort 

 of manure for their land : and I make no 

 doubt it is so, from the salt it imbibes, 

 which causes a moisture, and must be va- 

 luable on such hot dry soil. Nay, the bare 

 spreading it over the land, I am persuaded, 

 is good ' y as I have an idea that if straw or 

 stubble were laid on land during the win- 

 ter, taken off in the spring, and crops sown 

 thereon, it would be of service. I am from 

 experience convinced, that the more land is 

 kept from the rays of the sun in summer, 

 and the severity of winter, the better. The 

 frost, in the winter, seems to meliorate the 

 land ; but I still retain an opinion that the 



