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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



TENTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING, 



At the State House, March 23, 1852. 



Subject, — Draining, and the Improvement of 



Meadow and Swamp Lands. 

 Owing to indisposition, Hon. Myron Lawrence 

 was unable to preside at the meeting on Tuesday 

 night, and the chair was occupied by Hon. Mr. 

 Gardner, of Seekonk. On taking the chair he 

 made a few remarks in regard to what has been 

 alleged by some persons, that these meetings do 

 not do much good ; because different persons here 

 express different opinions in regard to the same 

 subject. He thought there should be no more of 

 an objection against these meetings, and the object 

 they have in view, than a diversity of opinion up- 

 on law, theology or medicine is against those pro- 

 fessions. In regard to the subject before the meet- 

 ing, he considered it one of the most important de- 

 partments of agriculture. It is practised more in 

 England and Scotland than in this country. There 

 the climate is more humid, and the soil consequent- 

 ly possesses more moisture. The gentlemen who 

 own the land, are also generally better able to 

 drain their land than our farmers are, and thus 

 make it more remunerative. If we can credit the 

 statement made by Coleman, there are in England 

 thousands of acres of land which have been drained 

 in the most thorough and scientific manner, and 

 at great expense, and yet they have proved highly 

 profitable. In Massachusetts, he did not suppose 

 that it is practicable for our farmers to drain all 

 their waste land to advantage. But there is a 

 great amount of land in our commonwealth now 

 lying entirely useless, not worth a dollar an. acre, 

 which by a proper system of draining and cultiva- 

 tion, and at much less cost than is generally sup- 

 posed, might be made more productive than any 

 land in the State. It is therefore plain that this 

 subject is one of much importance to the farmer. 

 Draining is also imp ortant in its results upon the 

 health of those who live in the vicinity of low, wet 

 land. In these low localities, typhus and inter- 

 mittent fevers abound, which are caused in a great 

 degree by these low marshy lands. The modes of 

 draining are various. Superficial draining will in 

 some localities do well. He had a lot of 8 or 10 

 acres, bounded on the east by a range of hills, and 

 inclining to the w r est, at about an angle of 45 de- 

 grees ; at the bottom of the lot there was a never 

 failing spring, the water from which inundated a 

 portion of the lot. Five or six years ago, he had 

 a drain dug transversly towards the west, down* to 

 the hard bottom. Besides this he made lateral 

 drains each way. In September it was dry enough 

 to plow and harrow, which was done. A coat of 

 compost, 25 to 30 loads to the acre, was next har- 

 rowed in, and in the fall it was sowed down to 

 timothy, and since then it has been among his best 

 land, producing more than two tons of good hay 

 to the acre. This was accomplished with nothing 



but superficial draining. He did not mention this 

 as the best kind of draining, but as a kind which 

 might be practised profitably. He thought that 

 our bog meadows, properly reclaimed, might be 

 made more valuable than the placers of California. 



Mr. B. V. French, of Braintree, next addressed 

 the meeting. He spoke of the importance of the 

 subject, and mentioned several of the modes which 

 are practised. Judge Buel, of Albany, took some 

 very poor land, and laid down common white pine 

 logs, with the butts up stream. Many years after, 

 the drains were examined, and found to be dis- 

 charging the water very well. Another mode is 

 by placing pointed stones, and laying a rail on the 

 top, and then fitting in with small stones. Others, 

 where they have a large quantity of small stone, 

 dig a trench, deep, and fill in with the small stone, 

 and build on them their walls — thus getting rid of 

 their small stone and laying a good foundation for 

 their wall at the same time. But on the whole, 

 he thought the best mode was to use the tiles 

 made at Albany, and which are similar to those 

 used in England. They can be obtained at $12 a 

 thousand. They are cut into lengths (when baked) 

 of about fourteen inches, and cost here two cents 

 a foot. He had found this to be the cheapest kind 

 of drain which he could make. He alluded to the 

 great importance attached to draining in England, 

 as is apparent from the fact that Parliament has 

 appropriated large sums to promote it. In regard 

 to cedar swamps — he had inquired of those used to 

 working cedar at what age it was suitable to work ; 

 and their opinion was, that it should be one hun- 

 dred years old. He would ask what this land was 

 worth for the product of which the owner must 

 wait a hundred years, and in the mean time pay 

 the annual taxes upon it? It was not worth, at 

 the most, more than one dollar an acre. It w r ould 

 be found that these swamps are most always con- 

 tiguous to a pine plain, with a gravelly soil. Some- 

 times a well could be dug here into which the 

 water would run from the swamp. He thought 

 the water could be drained from these swamps, 

 the stumps removed, and the land made fit for the 

 plow, for from $40 to $00 an acre ; and when this 

 had been thoroughly done, he had not heard of 

 any which was not thought worth $300 an acre. 

 In order to make these lands good grass lands,, 

 some sand or ashes is needed. The}' will yield 

 immense crops, Coleman says, in some instances 

 five tons to the acre. They are good for celery, 

 cabbage, turnips, and corn can be raised in some 

 instances, with success. 



Maj. Wheeler, of Framingham, spoke of his ex- 

 perience in draining. He began thirty-five years 

 ago, and was ridiculed by his neighbors for it. 

 The first thing important to be done, was to drain 

 the land thoroughly, and to seed it down complete- 

 ly. He had tried many experiments ; one which 

 was successful, was to pare the land, pile up the 



