152 MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 



and levelled down, leaving proper drains to carry off the water. 

 Some of it, we cut from six to eight feet deep ; we cut the 

 peat as low as we find it good, and leave the rest. On one- 

 third of this land, we cut down to solid gravel, and rocks like 

 the bottom of a river, so hard that the spring water cannot 

 work through it, and of course, must be drained off. The 

 deepest soil now, is the remains of poor peat, not worth cut- 

 ting, which, with the top-dressing and gravel, and compost 

 manure, leaves a good soil, from three to six feet deep, that will 

 never wear out, if properly managed. 



The most of the soil on this land, has been handled over 

 with spades, and a good share of it twice and three times, as it 

 could not be ploughed. I carted on over one hundred loads of 

 gravel to the acre, the most of which, we had to carry on with 

 wheelbarrows, after carting as near as we could to the edge of 

 the swamp ; this was done by a platform of boards and plank, 

 which we moved as wanted, from place to place, until the 

 whole was covered about three inches deep. This was done 

 in the fall, and in the spring spaded it all over to mix it with 

 the soil. Then (1847) planted it with potatoes, manuring in 

 the hill ; they looked well, but the rot ruined two-thirds of 

 them. 



I considered I obtained enough to pay for the seed and labor, 

 as they sold, from sixty-five to seventy cents per bushel. In 

 1848, I sowed one part with oats and grass seed, spreading on 

 twenty loads good compost manure, and obtained a good crop. 

 The other part I planted with potatoes, again manuring in the 

 hill, and had a fine crop, entirely free from rot. In 1849, top- 

 dressed this with twenty loads of good compost manure, and 

 sowed oats and grass seed, and obtained an excellent crop of 

 oats, and two good crops of hay, from the piece laid down in 

 1848. Annexed, is a statement of all the above crops. I did 

 not keep an exact account of the seed and labor, but I shall 

 charge all that it cost. The most of the grass seed sown on 

 this land, was chaff saved in my barn, of which, I have about 

 as much as I want every year, and for the most part, it does 

 better than that which I purchase ; still, I prefer cutting my 

 hay before the seed is ripe, but cannot always do so. 



