On Salt Marsh. 283 



With respect to the lot destined for grass, I would re- 

 spectfully recommend, that, as soon as the bank and 

 ditches are finished, the salt grass or weeds should be 

 burnt, when the ground is wet and the weeds dry ; and 

 that herd or timothy or clover seed should be sown— 

 preferring herd, in low wet places, on account of its 

 hardy nature ; and timothy and clover, where the 

 ground is dry, on account of their quality. Fire should 

 not be used afterwards, lest the fresh grass be destroy- 

 ed ; but the lot should be overstocked, that all the her- 

 bage may be eaten down nearly at the same time. If 

 a sufficient number of cattle be not obtained, a small 

 number will select the fresh, and let the salt grass and 

 weeds go, to seed, — thus enabling the latter to keep the 

 ascendency. In such a case, the whole should be mown 

 even ; and then as many cattle as can be had should be 

 turned to graze on the after-math. They will, at the 

 same time, trample through the crust of salt grass roots, 

 and set the fresh grass seed fairly in the ground, if more 

 seed be necessary. Every year will increase the fresh 

 grass, by this process ; but, as much of the seed perishes, 

 on a salt or sedge grass surface, that does not fall into 

 the harrow cuts or cattle tracks, repeated sowing is ne- 

 cessary. Three or four years will thus make first rate 

 meadow. 



If the meadow be low and spungy, it never should be 

 ploughed, nor destined for grain : its height is better pre- 

 served by leaving it undisturbed. There are many pieces 

 of marsh, even though the main body of the tract is bet- 

 ter, that are high enough for grazing, and yet would 

 settle too much by cultivation. Here the idea of irriga- 

 tion occurs. The practice of overflowing fresh meadows, 



