66 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



Calvin Locke's Statement. 



The reclaimed meadow, containing one and nine-sixteenths 

 acres, submitted to your consideration, was, in 1842, a thick 

 alder swamp, flooded with water full three-fourths of the year, 

 in the winter to a considerable depth. I commenced working 

 on it, in November or December of that year, by cutting two 

 ditches through the length of it, one on each side, rceceiving 

 for my pay, the alders growing on the margin of the same, about 

 one rod in width, without any reference to making it a mowing 

 field, but merely to drain the ground. Before I had progressed 

 far, I became convinced of the prospective productiveness of 

 the soil, which is alluvial from one to two feet deep, and made 

 a bargain to lease it for twenty years. During the winter of 

 1843, I cut off most of the alders, and in 1844 cut the remain- 

 der. A part of them were cut in the usual way of cutting 

 alders for fuel ; a part were taken out by one man taking hold 

 the clump, and pulling from the man with an axe on the oppo- 

 site side, while he goes round and cuts the large roots, when 

 they will very readily come out whole. I think this far the 

 cheapest and easiest way of getting them out. I should think 

 I cut on the piece, more than fifty loads for three cattle. A 

 part of these I sold for from two dollars to two dollars and fifty 

 cents a load — I might say their average value would be two 

 dollars and twenty-five cents. In 1845 I commenced getting 

 out the roots, first with a bush puller and then with a plough, 

 which I think much the best instrument. I should think we 

 spent about six days with three men and two yoke of oxen, 

 clearing about an acre from roots and ploughing it. The roots 

 we piled up and covered with clam shells, and burnt them into 

 lime with the roots, and then laid them out in hills, and planted 

 potatoes on them, which went over about half an acre. The 

 other was manured with one load of manure from the barn, and 

 two cords of rock-weed, mixed with stufi" thrown out of the 

 ditches. Of the three kinds of dressing used, I consider the 

 contents of the root and shell heap the best. The potatoes 

 grew finely, and gave promise of a good crop, had it not been 

 for the blight, which rendered them almost worthless. In 1846 



