ON RECLAIMING WET LANDS- 81 



The situation of Mr. Bradley's land is in a very gentle swale, ex- 

 tending towards the Merrimack river, with a main ditch which he has 

 dug wide and deep through the centre, and with cross ditches on 

 either side leading to the same. It is naturally a rich alluvion ; but 

 the Committee can give Mr. Bradley no credit for the bounties of 

 Nature, yet they cheerfully award to him much credit for the man- 

 agement of the great agricultural enterprise in which he is engaged. 

 Thirty acres in a body, of well improved meadow land, producing 

 for several years in succession, two and a half tons to the acre, is 

 seldom seen. Sufficient evidence of this produce, we had, not only 

 from one of our Committee, who visited it in July, while the crop 

 was standing, and who remarked, that this extensive tract "of fine 

 English grass growing, would dehght the eyes of the beholder." 

 But at the last visit, we availed ourselves of the testimony of the 

 very intelligent Committee on Farms, who were present at that time, 

 and to whom we were indebted for many just remarks. All testified 

 their belief, that such was the uniform produce. Before the last 

 visit, the devouring element of fire had deprived Mr. Bradley and 

 ourselves, of examining the quality of the hay, and him of his large 

 barn and all its contents of grain and hay. 



The Committee were also much pleased with all Mr. Bradley's 

 improvements, opening to view delightful prospects on the banks of 

 the Merrimack. But we were more particularly interested in his 

 wet meadow improvements. At the head of the swale, we observed 

 a lot of several acres of shaking meadow, recently improved, which 

 evidently bore his best grass, and adjoining a quagmire worthless 

 swamp, which was a sample of his land before he commenced opera- 

 tions. On this improved lot, he had smoothed ofi" the stumps so 

 close as not to interfere with the scythe, thus saving the expense of 

 digging them out, which seemsd perfectly to answer all purposes. 

 The Committee regret, however, that Mr. Bradley had not given a 

 more detailed account in his statement, of his whole process, and 

 "of all incidental expenses." About five acres, as he has stated, 

 he ploughed and seeded without any gravel ; this, it seemed evident 

 by the stubble, was the least productive, and of poorer quality of 

 grass, than on the other parts. 



Mr. Osborn, having favored us with so full a statement, it will be 



^unnecessary for the Committee to comment here so much at large. 



He seems to have proceeded according to the present most approved 



11 



