Un reclaiming Marsh Land. 



so as to make it just brackish enough to produce all the 

 improved kinds of grasses, he has nothing more to do 

 than to shut down his inside doors to his sluices or flood- 

 gates, and hold the water until it shall have raised in 

 height, so as to cover the surface of the whole marsh : 

 his trunks lying in the bank (as before described) will 

 then vent all the superfluous water. Let this be done in 

 the fall, and be continued until the following spring, then 

 the water might be drawn off*, and grain or grass sown, 

 as suited tlie fancy of the owner. I have no doubt that 

 in repeating this process for tvi-o seasons, the marsh w ill 

 freshen exceedingly, and otherwise be materially im- 

 proved. I would also suggest, that throughout the sum- 

 mer the sluices or flood-gates should be attended to, by- 

 having boards slid in them ; and in the mouths of the 

 ditches, pieces of plank should be set edgeways, so as 

 to keep in all the ditches, a certain and continued supply 

 for the cattle, and diflferent kinds of grain and grass which 

 may have been committed to the soil. The height of the 

 water in the ditches can easily be regulated by the num- 

 ber of planks to be put down, the one over the other. 

 Another great advantage to be derived from this process 

 would be, as I have before said, that the weight of water 

 lying for several months on this peaty and light marsh, 

 would tend to compress and render it much more suscep- 

 tible of receiving the seed to advantage when sown on it. 



GRAIN IN MEADOWS. 



I cannot say any thing in favour of the different kinds 

 of grain, either from my own cultivation or that of my 

 neighbours. I have known good crops of wheat, rye, 

 corn and oats produced; but yet I have considered the cul- 

 tivation of grain generally in meadows, as much too pre- 

 carious for profitable culture. You may sometimes have 



