72 

 IMPROVING WET MEADOW AND SWAMP LANDS. 



The undersigned, members of the Committee on "Improv- 

 ing Wet Meadow and Swamp Lands," met at the farm of S. 

 B. Bodwell, North Andover, September 21, to view a piece 

 of reclaimed Swamp Land, offered by him for premium. 

 This piece, of two acres, was covered five years ago with a 

 thick growth of alders and underbrush, and upon part of it 

 the water stood throughout tlie whole of every year. It was 

 of little value, not over $30.00 an acre, and yielded no in- 

 come. 



In the spring of 1S69, as Mr. Bodwell states, he mowed, 

 cut and burned the bushes, put in one main ditch, and broke 

 up with four yoke of oxen. 



In 1870 he harrowed four or five times in course of the 

 summer, and fall ploughed with two yoke of oxen, took up 

 stones and stumps, and put in remainder of drains. 



In 1871 he ploughed and harrowed and planted potatoes 

 and cabbages, manured in the hills. The crop paid expenses 

 of the year's work. In the fall he ploughed and sowed with 

 Timothy and Red Top. 



In 1872 he cut three tons of hay to the acre, in two cut- 

 tin >ts. In the fall he top-dressed with four curds of stable 

 manure to the acre. 



In 1873 he sowed Red Clover in the spring, and cut fully 

 three tons of hay per acre, mostly herd grass, for first crop, 

 and one ton per acre for second crop. 



In 1874 he cut three tons of hay per acre for first crop. 

 At the time of the Committee's visit about half an acre had 

 been cut the second time, from which twenty good sized cocks 

 of hay had been put in. On the balance of the piece the 

 second crop was standing, which the Connnittee saw, and 

 Avhich has since proved to be fully one and a half tons of hay 

 per acre. 



In 1868 Mr. Bodwell could keep but one horse all the time, 

 and another about half the time. Last year he kept three 



