114 ESSAY ON RECLAIMING WET LANDS. 



to the hard pan, which in such land is generally from two to four or 

 jBve feet deep, and composed of hard sand, often inclining to clay, 

 which is impervious to water. This is the great conductor of all 

 water from the land, or is a reservoir to hold it, where the descent 

 is so small as not to carry it all immediately off. Then cross ditches 

 made shoal and narrow, tapering to the bottom, about four rods, and 

 sometimes only two rods apart, (where the springs are abundant,) 

 running crossway to the main ditch. In most instances, and where 

 the cold springs flow in from the upland, marginal ditches (between 

 the meadow and upland) are required, and absolutely necessary to 

 take off this water, and of more importance than any of the ditches. 

 But where the water from the hill sides comes only on the surface of 

 the ground, it runs over the meadow, and makes an irrigation that 

 enriches it, greatly promoting the growth of the grass. It will often 

 be seen, that in the shallow cross ditches, where water runs in them 

 from the upland, forming an irrigation, a thick set grass, called blue 

 grass, grows in abundance, and is an excellent kind. In some in- 

 stances, deep ditches should be interspersed among the cross ditches 

 to take off the occasional springs ; these ditches, if convenient, 

 should be stoned up and covered. These cross ditches, form beds, 

 which should be raised in the centre between them, by throwing the 

 mud from the ditches and sides into the middle, or if ploughed, com- 

 mence in the centre and back farrow to the sides, which will raise it 

 sufficiently. 



If such a meadow as I have described could bo ploughed, it 

 would be best so to manage, and to plant it with potatoes or corn, or 

 sow it with rye, and grass seed at the same time, or lay it down, 

 sowing grass seed alone, in dry weather in August, or September, 

 which I think better than to sow later, as the crop of grass will be 

 far more abundant the following season ; or, it may be sowed late in 

 the fall, and even in the next spring very early, but I think the 

 chance by the last methods is by no means so favorable. But before 

 any thing of this is done, a top dressing of coarse gravel of the 

 depth of two inches will be necessary, and will have an astonishing 

 effect. Sand will answer the purpose, and loam is better than mere 

 sand, but gravel better than either. A top dressing of lime, or 

 ashes on the gravel or sand, I think may well pay the expense, or a 

 compost with lime still better. Yet the effects of mere gravel or 

 sand, I think would astonish any one who has not before experienced 



