50 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



Whatever may be the intrinsic worth of reclaimed meadows, 

 compared with other parts of the farm, we think that any one 

 who has reclaimed a worthless meadow will have something 

 of the feeling of the man in the parable of the lost sheep ; he 

 will rejoice more over that acre, than over the ninety and nine 

 which needed no reclaiming. 



The committee award : 



To Samuel Kimball, of Boxford, first premium, $15 00 

 " Horace Ware, Jr., of Salem, second premium, 10 00 



WILLIAM R. PUTNAM, Chairman. 



Samuel KimhalVs Statement. 



The swamp land recently viewed by the committee, was 

 surveyed in June, 1851, and contains 5 1-80 acres, including 

 ditches, which occupy seventeen rods of the surface. 



Most of it has been a dense growth of pine and maple until 

 within the last seven or eight years. During the winter of 

 1846, all the wood of any value then remaining on the swamp, 

 was taken off. The original growth on a part of this swamp 

 had been removed many years since, and nothing of value had 

 grown from it ; dogwood, alders, the blueberry, and many 

 other kinds of bushes, together with brake, moss, and meadow 

 cabbage, being the principal growth. This swamp has a peat 

 bottom, some parts of it being soft ] so much so, that no beast 

 of goodly size could travel over it. Peat had been taken from 

 the highest part of it, though it was with difficulty, on account 

 of water. 



In June, 1847, I concluded to drain the swamp in order to 

 clear it of standing water, resolving to reclaim it at some future 

 time. I accordingly employed a man to dig a ditch for that 

 purpose, which cost fifteen dollars and forty cents. I saved 

 twenty cords of peat, taken from this ditch, which I sold, leav- 

 ing me one dollar per cord, exclusive of all expense. 



In June, 1848, I began the work of reclaiming. I hired a 

 man well adapted to the business, for twenty dollars per month, 

 including board ; and with bog hoe in hand, and a good mus- 

 cular arm, he commenced business. The whole surface of 



