80 ON IMPROVmO WET LANDS. 



ON IMPROVING WET MEADOWS AND SWAMP LANDS. 



The Committee on Improved Meadows and Swamp Lands, Report: 



That there have been four entries of claims for premiums the past 

 year, and they have been examined by the Committee in the follow- 

 ing order, viz, : 



A lot of D. R. Merriam, of Topsfield, on the 10th of July. One 

 entered by Leverett Bradley, of Methuen, visited by a part of the 

 Committee on the 20th of July, and by another part, on the 12th of 

 October. One entered by Stephen Osborn, of Danvers, and another 

 Iby Richard Dodge, of Wenham, both visited on the 3 1st of August. 



Your Committee finding an evidently increasing desire among the 

 farmers of Essex for the improvement of this kind of land, felt it 

 their duty to make minute examinations of such as they were called 

 to visit. 



After mature deliberation, the Committee recommend the premi- 

 ums to be given as follows, viz. : 



To Leverett Bradley, of Methuen, the first premium of $20 00 

 To Stephen Osborn, of Danvers, the second premium of 15 00 



To Richard Dodge, of Wenham, the third premium of 10 00 



To R. A. Merriam, of Topsfield, the fourth premium of Coleman's 



European Agriculture. 



The Committee would state that the land of Dr. Merriam, which 

 was part of a sunken swamp, and part plain meadow, would have stood 

 more prominent, had it not been encountered by several powerful 

 competitors. His land was well drained with good and sufiicient 

 ditches ; it seemed as if it had been formerly encumbered with stag- 

 nant waters ; and as it was neither springy, nor surrounded by 

 springs, marginal ditches were not required. His method of merely 

 spreading the mud from the intermediate spaces between ditches, 

 and the expensive mode of spreading summer dung, or even com- 

 post, (if coarse gravel or loam could have been obtained,) would not 

 be so highly approved by those who have experienced the good effects 

 of the latter on meadow lands. He yet thinks well of gravelling, and 

 recommends it, with only smoothing the surface. Many good farm- 

 ers are still of opinion, that both ploughing, (where it is practicable) 

 and gravelling, are important. The Dr. has given us a descrip- 

 tion of a hassock hoe, used by him ; there are other instruments 

 for the purpose, that have been much approved ; yet this may be 

 best for some parts of the work. 



