SECRETARY'S REPORT. 77 



partly above the surface, but stili the bottom reaching below 

 the frost, are not raised with tlie soil like the small stones, but 

 remain in their bed, while the soil is thrown up, not unfre- 

 quently three or four inches from its former position, leaving 

 the same amount of open space between the rock and lifted soil. 

 That the action of frost is beneficial to the soil we do not enter- 

 tain a doubt ; yet, where there is such a superabundance of 

 water as the " heaving" to sucli an extent indicates, the advan- 

 tages to be derived from freezing under more favorable circum- 

 stances are lost, and in this vv'ay : when the frost is leaving 

 the soil in spring, it settles down into so much water, that, 

 after the surplus moisture has evaporated, and by slow process 

 leached down, it is left too iiearly in the condition of puddled 

 earth. 



We have sometimes, while walking on soil of this kind in 

 spring, had it break under our feet to such an extent as to 

 remind us of snow crust when not quite firm enough to sustain 

 our w^eight. Such land is, to use common expression, natiiral 

 to grass, as well as to coarser herbage, and, properly drained, 

 will produce it in lai'ge quantities and much improved in qual- 

 ity. Many acres of our own soil is of this kind, some of which 

 we have experimented upon ; enough to convince us that more 

 needs doing. One plot of three acres, in which are several 

 knolls and side hills abundantly dry, but through the lower 

 parts there are eighty rods of stoned-up, blind ditch, and there 

 ouglit to be more. 



Another, a swamp on our own premises, covering some five 

 acres, at the head of which is a never-failing spring, the water 

 from which passed along over the flat but uneven surface of 

 the said five acres, and there being other springy places along 

 the border, the soil was kept continually filled with water. 

 Indeed, in the condition in which it laas, we regarded it as a 

 worthless lot ; the growth upon the alders, with a sprinkling 

 of dogwood, dwarf maples, blueberry, azalia, and other bushes, 

 was perfectly valueless. 



The surface soil, mud we should say, was from eight to 

 twelve inches deep, below which, fine wdiite sand with a slight 

 mixture of clay, so closely settled together that it required 

 much effort to enter it with a spade in many places ; in others 

 there was but a thin crust of hard substance, and then coarser 



