12 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 371 



Preparation of Land 



After the land has been cleared of trees and brush and ditched and 

 drained, it is "turfed" or "scalped" (Fig. 8). The turf is cut in squares of 

 handy size with turf axes (Fig. 9B) and these are turned upside down with 

 turf hooks (Fig. 9A) and allowed to dry. They are then broken up easily 

 with a grading hoe (Fig. 9C) and all pieces of roots found in them are 

 burned. Care must be taken at this time to remove from the soil the roots 

 of ferns and of all plants likely to give trouble later as woody weeds, such 

 as horse brier, poison ivy, leather leaf, hardback, sheep laurel, and choke- 

 berry. 



All work on the land up to sanding should be completed late in the sum- 

 mer or in the fall. 



Fig. 10. A Covered or Trunk Gate. 



DamsS 



The reservoir and bog dams ( P'ig. 7C) usuall>' have a wide core ot sand 

 walled on both sides with turf. Sometimes the turf is necessary on only 

 one side. The turf walls are built layer on layer with some sand between 

 the layers for ballast, the pieces of adjoining layers overlapping. The turf 

 is often taken from the upland near the bog; but when the swamp itself 

 is scalped, the turf obtained may be used partly in facing the dams. 



A trench deep enough to reach below all tree roots should be dug along 

 the middle of the dam location and filled with sand to make a good con- 

 nection with the soil for holding water. If the dam is to cross very soft 

 land, it must ])e sheet-piled lengthwise in the middle with matched boards 

 or planks. It should have sloping sides and be widest at the bottom, with 

 dimensions according to the head of water. The wider it is the better it 

 will resist muskrats. It should Ik- a foot higher than high water to keep 

 waves from wearing a hole through the top. It may also serve as a road- 

 way. It is well to ditch the bog a few feet frDiii the dam, making a berm. 



A gate" for the passage of the water must he built in the dam — a job 

 whicli requires an experienced gate builder, for it nurst be made properly 



* Commonly called "dikes" In tln' ht(i\m i>. 



• Commonly called a "Hume" by tlic ^njwer.s. 



