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vegetable growth, that it may rot and become manure for the 

 future growth ; and this mode is found preferable to any other 

 where the material for covering is found near the bog ; two 

 men with wheel-barrows being able to cover an acre in one 

 week, at an expense of 12 dollars. In all cases we apply com- 

 post manures to the surface, and mingle them with the loam, 

 &c., before sowing our grass-seed. When the surface is rough 

 and the vegetable growth consists of bushes, coarse grasses and 

 hassocks, we pare and burn the whole surface soil, and obtain 

 aslies enough for manure for two or three years. After that we 

 apply composts, consisting mostly of gravelly loam to warm 

 the surface and to keep out the wild grasses. This mode of 

 subduing is often as cheap as any, when the meadow is broad 

 and materials for covering the surface are not near. Gravel is 

 the material which we prefer when the meadow is quite cold 

 and wet, as it gives more warmth to the surface and brings the 

 peat mud more readily to action. But when the bog is dry, and 

 consequently does not want so much warming, loam is prefer- 

 red to gravel ; and the richer the loam, the less compost man- 

 ure will be required to start the first growth. Sand is some- 

 times carried on, but we consider sand the least suitable mate- 

 rial to be applied in large quantities to cover these bogs. It 

 lies heavy and does not bring the peat to action so readily as 

 fine gravel ; though sand in small quantities is found quite use- 

 ful when mixed with heavy soils not consisting of peat. 



" The best calculators endeavor to get these bogs ready for 

 the seed by the first of September, if possible, since they are 

 then enabled to cut a good swarth in the following summer. 

 They usually sow herdsgrass and red-top seed at that season, 

 and a little clover in the winter, as this is more liable to be 

 winter-killed than other seeds. 



" Our first step is to drain the bog sufficiently to enable us 

 to operate on the surface and to root out the water grasses. In 

 cutting the drains, we have regard to subsequent operations 

 which may be needed to renovate the soil again when the sour 

 grasses have encroached too much on those which we intend 



