68 On reclaiming Marsh Land, 



but, when the heats and droughts come on, they will 

 most assuredly perish. 



Different marsh soils require different kinds of seed. 

 The firm blue mud is best adapted for green grass, timo- 

 thy and the clovers, particularly the white. The light 

 spongy marsh (called horse dung or peat) is fitted for 

 none other than the herdgrass. Immediately after the 

 bank is completed, this kind of soil should be sown 

 with herdgrass, while it is yet new and in its wet state, 

 and before it has time even to exhibit dryness on the sur- 

 face. While it is yet wet, a sward of herdgrass may be 

 formed upon it, and by pasturing it closely for some 

 time, it will then be useful for mowing for many years. 

 I would never recommend the sowing of herdgrass on 

 good mud, because the timothy, clovers and green grass 

 are all far preferable, much more nutritious, and bear 

 pasturing until quite late ; on the contrary, the herdgrass 

 is not so good for pasture, nor will it resist the effects of 

 a late frost in the spring, nor an early one in the fall. Be- 

 sides, it has a wonderful tendency to root out all the other 

 grasses, with its innumerable long and very fine roots, 

 and from the production of such an immense quantity of 

 seed, which are so easily shattered out and wafted by the 

 wind every where ; that should, but a very small portion 

 of the seed be mixed with the other grasses and sown 

 on blue mud, it would be discovered in a very few 

 years, that the herdgrass had obtained the complete as- 

 cendency. The herdgrass is admirably adapted for the 

 salt marshes. It is wonderful how easily it can become 

 the companion of even the red salt grass ; and in propor- 

 tion as it acquires strength and root, so in the same pro- 

 portion does it take the place of that natural proprietor of 

 the saline soil. When I speak of salt marshes, I wish to 

 be understood, those marshes which are considerably 

 brackish, but not so much as those bordering on the 



