On reclaiming Marsh Land. 



io 



a beautiful and strong standing crop of wheat or rye on 

 the good blue mud along the bank, or edges of the creek 

 or guts ; but it would be no more than a mere slip, with 

 here and there a patch, compared to the residue oF the 

 marsh ; all the other parts will be nothing but weeds and 

 rubbish. I also consider it a certain waste of time, la- 

 bour and money, in endeavouring to derive a profit from 

 sowing any kind of grain on the peaty or horse- dung soil; 

 it may vegetate for a while, and produce a shew of some 

 straw, but very little if any grain. 1 admit that grain has 

 sometimes succeeded on the good blue mud soil, but 

 when you take into consideration that all kinds of grain 

 are uncertain in marsh grounds, and also the hosts 

 of enemies of different tribes which will prey upon it, 

 such as grub-worms, mice, and birds without number ; 

 and moreover the grasshoppers and cockroaches which 

 attack the grain after it has been reaped, and while in 

 shock, you may readily conclude, that the risk of the de- 

 struction would be much more probable than a fair cal- 

 culation for profit. 



My judgment, therefore, is, (calculating for a series of 

 years, say six or seven) that the loss would by far over- 

 balance the profit. In my agricultural pursuits in early- 

 life, I was led to believe that the marsh was the very 

 quintescence of nutriment for all plants, and that all kinds 

 of grain might be cultivated there in great perfection. 

 I tried different kinds of grain, and succeeded in causing 

 them to grow, but I remember, not to my satisfaction. 

 I have long been satisfied in my own mind, that the up- 

 land was by nature intended for the production both of 

 grain and grass, but that the marshes were designed for 

 grasses on!y. There can be nothing more true in agri- 

 cultural science (according to my estimation) than that a 

 plough should never enter a marsh soil ; we may be as- 

 sured that the best side of any marsh is uppermost. 



