ESSAr ON RECLAIMING WET LAND3. 117 



"wlilcli may be hauled on in the leisure of winter, (when'the meadow 

 is also hard with frost,) and spread the following summer, and which 

 will take about 150 loads to the acre, costing as some have found, 

 about ten dollars. Then may be spread on a light top dressing of 

 ashes, or compost manure, costing perhaps as much more. This 

 land may then be sowed down to grass in September, with the usual 

 quantity of seed used on uplands, viz. : one peck of herds-grass, 

 and one bushel of red-top, costing probably $1 75, making there- 

 fore the expense of $21 75. We know of instances of land, thus 

 managed, producing for several years more than two tons to the 

 acre, without farther top dressing. Peat meadow land, thus man- 

 aged, I have always found to give good crops of good hay, much 

 longer with top dressing, than similar lands well ploughed and 

 planted, well manured in the hole, rotted and laid down, without the 

 sand or gravel. This seems to amount to something like conclusive 

 evidence of the great value of these substances on peat lands. 



I have spoken hitherto mostly of loose peat lands, for it is with 

 those I have been most conversant. But the field in which we are 

 now engaged, is exceedingly extensive, opening to view a great va- 

 riety of soils susceptible of great improvements, varying in their 

 texture and composition, and as I have before intimaied, composed 

 much of nutritive and decayed vegetable and animal substances. 

 The process by which they maybe reclaimed, must be varied accord- 

 ing to the substances composing them. Where clay predominates, 

 sand is one of the best ingredients to mix with it. Where sand or 

 gravel prevails, some substances having the adhesive qualities of clay 

 would be best. In some soils that are well drained, and not flowed 

 at any season, compost, and even barn manure may be used to ad- 

 vantage. But I have come to the conclusion, that on most swamp 

 lands, or meadows, manures are not necessary, but the cheaper arti- 

 cles I have mentioned, such as gravel, &c., are not only more eco- 

 Domical, but actually better. Improvements hjjjaring and hwniing 

 the surface have been attempted in our County with good success, 

 and although so much resorted to in foreign countries, yet has not 

 extensively been practiced here. Such as have undertaken this 

 process have raised fine crops. Some instances of improvements 

 have been seen, where the expenses have exceeded the value of 

 them, in dollars and cents, yet the fancy of the owner may have 



