DRA 



DRA 



HI 



will make it drier, and sometimes 

 answer as a good manure. And, 

 in this operation, there will be oft- 

 en a mixing of soils, attended with 

 considerable advantage. 



To judge rightly, whether it will 

 be worth while to attempt the 

 draining of a swamp, it is first to be 

 considered what wilhbe the cost of 

 digging at the outlet, where it will, 

 in some cases, be necessary to go 

 very deep. If large rocks should 

 be found in the way, they may be 

 blown to pieces with gun-powder. 

 But doing this, is somewhat expen- 

 sive. Also, the depth of the black 

 soil in the swamp must be examin- 

 ed, and the stratum next under it. 

 If the under stratum be clay, the 

 swamp may be well worth draining, 

 though no more than six inches of 

 till or mud be above it ; for the 

 mud and clay mixed, will make an 

 excellent soil. But if the under 

 stratum be gravel, or white sand, it 

 will not be best to undertake drain- 

 ing, unless the depth of black mud 

 be as much as from fifteen to eigh- 

 teen inches. For it is to be re- 

 membered that the soil will settle 

 after draining, and be not so deep 

 as it was before. If, after draining 

 and hardening, there should be a 

 sufficient depth for tillage, the soil 

 will be most excellent 5 and will 

 pay well for an expensive draining. 



The manner ofdraining a swamp 

 is as follows : Beginning at the 

 outlet, pass a large ditch through 

 it, so as mostly to cut the lowest 

 parts. Then make another ditch 

 quite round it, near to the border, 

 to cut off the springs which come 

 from the upland, and to receive 

 the water that runs down from the 



hills upon the surface, in great 

 rains. These ditches are to be 

 larger or smaller in some propor- 

 tion to the bigness of the swamp, 

 having a regular descent for the 

 water, that not much of it may 

 stand in them. If the swamp be 

 large, it may be necessary that 

 some smaller cross drains should be 

 cut in several of the lowest parts. 

 The bottom of the main ditches, 

 when the soil is not of an extraor- 

 dinary depth, must be lower than 

 the bottom of the loose soil ; oth- 

 erwise the soil will never become 

 sufficiently dry and firm. When 

 the swamp comes to be sufficiently 

 dry for tillage, such of the drains 

 may be converted into hollow 

 ones, as cannot profitably be kept 

 open for fences. Thus the quan- 

 tity of improveable land will be 

 increased. 



If a bridge over any of the drains 

 should be wanted, the best way to 

 make one. will be by filling up a 

 short piece of the drain with stones, 

 or wood, that is, by making it hol- 

 low in that part. This will be less 

 expensive than a common bridge, 

 and answer the purpose better. 



Those who are willing to be con- 

 vinced of the amazing fruitfulness 

 of drained swamps, should read 

 Mr. Eliot on the subject. He re- 

 presents them as producing tur- 

 nips, clover, oats, &c. to great ad- 

 vantage ; English hay, four tons 

 per acre, and Indian corn at the 

 rate of more than ninety bushels 

 per acre, without manuring. 



Such lands are highly advanta- 

 geous, as they require no dung ; 

 and cannot be easily, if at al!,worn 

 out by cropping: Also, as thev 



