88 ON RECLAIMING WET LANDS. 



pointed out to you, on your visit in July, about a week before the 

 grass was cut, consisted mostly of bushes, from four to ten feet 

 high, high blueberries, alder and swamp sumac or dogwood. This 

 piece, containing about one and a quarter acres, was reclaimed by 

 cutting and burning the bushes on the ground. On a part, the 

 whole surface was removed, piled in heaps two years ago last 

 spring, and in the fall burned. On another part the surface only was 

 smoothed, removing the stumps and rubbish from the ground. I 

 sowed the usual quantity of hay seed over the whole, and raked it in 

 with an iron rake. I found it a little more difficult to get the seed 

 to take where the surface was not disturbed, and a natural grass, 

 called bluejoint, taken the place. 



In 1847 I cut from the one and a quarter acres, about two tons 

 of hay, mostly herds grass and red top. xifter haying, I put upon 

 this acre and a quarter, about five cords of summer manure ; this 

 year, 1848, I cut from four to five tons of good English hay, not dif- 

 fering in amount from what you estimated it at. 



The roots and fuel taken from this land were worth about fifteen 

 dollars. The cost, over and above upland tillage ground, may be 

 fairly estimated at between twenty and thirty dollars, varying a lit- 

 tle on different lands. On some small portions I have spread about 

 two inches of coarse gravel, after sowing the hayseed, T he cost of 

 this method will be about the same ; and I am inclined to the opinion 

 that this is the better method of reclaiming bog meadow land , where 

 bushes do not cover the ground. 



Where you intend to cover with gravel, the hassocks and all 

 prominences should be first removed, and as even a surface left as 

 possible ; then sow the hay seed and cover with about two inches of 

 gravel. The gravelly portions of my meadow seemed to stand any 

 weather better than the portion that was not gravelled. 



For removing hassock, &c., I have used a hoe, constructed some- 

 what in the shape of a carpenter's adze, made of steel-plate, with the 

 eye welded on the part near it, and riveted down the centre with 

 two good rivets. The hoe should be about nine inches deep, and a- 

 bout six inches of cutting surface, ground in the same manner as a 

 carpenter's adze. This tool may be so tempered as to take a very 

 keen edge and may weigh about three and a half pounds and may be 

 a little curved from the eye to the edge, the eye one and a half in- 

 ches in diameter. Such an instrument will take off a root as big 



