PLYMOUTH SOCIETY. 165 



Jos'iah Whitman s Statement. 



The piece of land for which I have put in a claim to the pre- 

 mium, offered for the largest quantity of land which should be 

 in the best state of preparation for English mowing, September 

 1, 1847, which was fresh meadow or swamp land June 1, 1846, 

 may be called meadow pasture and brush swamp; the soil, from 

 six to nine inches, resting on a hard clayey sub-soil, partially 

 covered with brakes and blue whortleberry and laurel bushes. 

 I commenced in August, 1846, and dug up the bushes, and 

 mowed the brakes; the 15th of August, put in the plough with 

 a strong team and three men ; ploughed, rolled and harrowed ; 

 dug out brake-roots, carted on and spread ten cords of compost 

 manure. Sept. 1, sowed to rye and grass, one bushel of rye, one 

 of herdsgrass, two of red-top, and four pounds of clover seed — 

 and laid open two ditches to let off the water. 



It cost, for digging brush and mowing brakes, $6 ; ploughing, 

 rolling, harrowing, and carting manure, $14 ; grass-seed, $4 40; 

 rye, 84 cts. ; ten cords manure, $30. Total, $55 24. Cost per 

 acre, 41 dollars. I have taken from the piece this year ten 

 bushels rye, and as good as one ton English hay, — say, after 

 subtracting the expense of harvesting, $15 00. The piece con- 

 tains 1 acre 63 rods. 



East Bridgewater, Aug. 28, 1847. 



William H. Adams's Statement. 



The first piece of swamp land that I brought into English 

 mowing was covered with stumps and stones, together with 

 bushes and wild grass. It was mostly subdued with a narrow 

 hoe, it being difficult to plough. I drained it by digging be- 

 tween 30 and 40 rods of ditches : it was in a very rough state 

 when I commenced upon it. I sowed it down to herdsgrass on 

 or about the 20th Sept.. 1845 ; there were 72 rods in the lot. 

 By good judges, it was estimated that, of the first and second 

 crop, there were three tons to the acre. 



