150 MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 



spread upon it, without any other manure. This last method 

 is far the cheapest and most economical mode I know of, for 

 reclaiming peat meadows. The whole expense of bogging 

 burning, manuring, and seeding, being not more than twenty- 

 five dollars per acre. The lot you saw, that was prepared since 

 haying by burning, is now completely green with herds grass 

 and clover, and will, without any doubt, yield three tons of the 

 best of hay to the acre, the next season. I do not deem it ad- 

 visable to sow grass seed after the first of September. 



The first and second crop on the whole of the meadow this 

 year, has been greater than in any former season, I should 

 judge, between three and four tons to the acre. Many of the 

 ditches I am now filling with stones, to within six inches of 

 the surface, in order to have it more convenient for passing from 

 one part of the meadow to the other. I also intend this fall, to 

 put in a flume at the outlet of the meadow, so that, when there 

 is a freshet, I can throw the water over the whole meadow, and 

 keep the water in the ditches at what height I please. In 1841, 

 the quality of the grass upon this meadow was very poor, 

 and teams could not pass over it ; now the quality of the hay 

 is first rate, teams can pass over it, and it is altogether the most 

 profitable land on my farm. 



Marlborough, September, 1849. 



Elbridge G. HayderVs Statement. 



The piece of reclaimed meadow which I offer for premium, 

 was gravelled in September, 1847. Previous to that time, it 

 had been mowed to keep the bushes down, but was in a very 

 uneven state, and bore but a small crop of poor meadow hay. 

 it was ditched by four ditches, one running by the shore, to cut 

 off the springs, and the other three, from the shore to the 

 brook. I carted on, in September, 1847, about seven hundred 

 loads of gravel on the piece, (which contains about one acre,) 

 and seeded it down without manure. The next year I cut a 

 moderate crop, perhaps one and one-half ton per acre. In the 

 fall of 1848, I spread on thirty loads of good strong manure, 



