NORFOLK SOCIETY. 311 



Hiram W. Joneses Statement. 

 The piece of meadow land offered by me for a premium, is 

 a part of a large tract of meadow on what is called Trout 

 Brook, and contains about three acres. The distance from the 

 hard land to the brook is about twenty-five rods. The mud or 

 peat varies from twelve inches in depth, near the upland, to six 

 feet at the brook. The grass that grew upon it, in its natural 

 state, was worth no more than the cost of harvesting. I began 

 to reclaim it in 1839, by cutting large ditches, on each side, 

 from the upland to the brook, and also between the upland and 

 meadow, to receive the water that came out from the bank. 

 In the fall of 1839, when the land was dry, I ploughed one 

 half acre, at the corner of the piece, commencing at the upland 

 and going as far towards the brook as the team could be borne. 

 There were many roots and hassocks upon the piece, and it 

 did not turn over very smooth. I then rolled it witli a heavy 

 roller, and let it remain until winter. I then carted one hun- 

 dred and ten ox-cart loads of gravelly sand upon it, from a 

 knoll near by ; making it pretty smooth on the surface. In 

 June following, when it was sufficiently dry, I harrowed it 

 thoroughly, — mixing the sand well with the soil ; I carted on 

 ten ox-cart loads of compost, made one half of horse manure 

 and t?ie other half of sandy loam. Harrowed again, and sowed 

 one bushel of oats, half a peck of herds grass, half a bushel of 

 red top and four pounds of Western clover seed, and harrowed 

 them in. In August, I cut a good crop of oats and clover. 

 The cost of reclaiming this half acre was as follows: — 



Ditching, _ . _ - - 



Ploughing, 3 men, 2 days, _ - - 



" 4 oxen, 2 days, _ - - 



Plough, 2 days, - - _ - - 



Rolling, - . _ - - 



Carting 110 loads of sand, _ . - 



Compost and carting, - _ _ - 



Harrowing, - _ _ _ _ 



Grass seed, sowing, &c., - - - - 



$38 50 



