102 ON FAinrs. 



to tlie upland on three sides of the swamp. I again filled the ditch 

 as before, and threw the muck from another on top. 1 pursued 

 this course until the whole swamp was reclaimed, which raised the 

 surface ei^ihteen inches hio'her than it was before. I then removed 

 more than half of the muck to the upland, and returned as much 

 loam from the upland in its place. Then by ploughing, the loam 

 and muck were well mixed. I have an open drain leading through 

 the meadow, from the spring by the hill, to a drain by the road ; 

 thus the meadow is rendered dry enough for any kind of cultivation. 



This method could not be practised as a general rule, with regard 

 to economy, in reclaiming wet land. I had good reasons (or thought 

 I had) for reclaiming my own in this way. In the first place, it 

 was but a small piece, near the house, and a convenient place for a 

 garden. I also wished to remove the gravel and loam from the side 

 of the hill to put in a bank wall, and make room for a row of cherry 

 trees. I wished to make it myself, and add to the beauty of the 

 scenery about the garden. Having but limited means, and keeping 

 within those limits, I made but very slow progress, and was three or 

 four years reclaiming my meadow. The stone, gravel, &c., was 

 wheeled on a wheelbarrow from five to fifteen rods. The cost of re- 

 claiming the meadow in this way was about $3 to the square rod, 

 or $4y0 to the acre. But I must charge the upland with half of 

 that amount; for every load used to raise the meadow was taken 

 out of the way from the upland. It would thus leave the expense 

 of the meadow at the rate of $240 per acre. 



In the year 1841, I received a few fruit trees of choice kinds, 

 from a nursery near Boston, which was the commencement of my 

 setting fruit trees ; and from this date I made it my practice to set a 

 few trees each year, of the best varieties. I would here mention, 

 that wishing to avail myself as much as possible of useful informa- 

 tion in regard to farming, gardening, and the management of fruit 

 trees, I became a subscriber to the Boston Cultivator, at its com- 

 mencement, in 1840. Since that time I credit its editors and num- 

 erous correspondents with much valuable information. The more I 

 studied into the art of gardening and growing fruit trees, the more 

 lively interest I took in the same — not more for the profit than by 

 the beauty of the scenery, to make home the more sweet. In 1848, 

 I transplanted to a row by themselves, a few small apple trees, that 

 had come up spontaneously about my place ; and the following year 



