SECRETARY'S REPORT. 267 



mark, and north-western part of Tisbury, and running south- 

 easterly towards the sea, fed along their course by numerous 

 springs and rivulets. On one of these streams is a flouring mill, 

 and a woollen mill, and on the other are two grist mills. 



Between the villages of Tisbury and Edgartown there is a large 

 section covered by scrub wood, a belt from two to six miles wide 

 extending across the island from north to south. There are, it 

 is true, intervals of cleared land, and in these intervals there 

 are some good farms. 



On the south side there is a range of ponds and coves, extend- 

 ing nearly the length of the island, separated from the Atlantic 

 Ocean by a narrow sand beach. Between these ponds and coves 

 are necks of land from one-half to one mile in length. These 

 necks are good for grazing purposes, and being fenced on three 

 sides by water, are peculiarly adapted to this purpose. The eel- 

 grass, so called, which grdws in large quantities at the bottom 

 of these ponds, is torn up and drifted on shore by the heavy 

 storms in autumn, and is either ploughed in in its natural state, 

 or is composted with peat and barn manure, with which it • 

 makes an excellent dressing. 



After passing out of the belt of scrub wood, we come to Edgar- 

 town proper. Here we find a light sandy soil, for the most part 

 without any subsoil of loam. This section is admirably adapted 

 to the raising of root-crops. Corn will grow here, but strong 

 efforts must be made in order to secure a large crop. Rye can 

 be grown to some advantage, but the soil is not retentive of 

 manures, and needs constant renewal of dressing to preserve it 

 from almost ntter barrenness. 



The land is level, but poorly watered, and however inviting 

 the town may be in other respects, it is not a paradise for the 

 agriculturist. Still, there are many enterprising farmers in this 

 section, who, by untiring energy, extort from its unfruitful soil 

 handsome crops of corn and grain. 



The principal crops of the island are corn and hay, and it is 

 claimed by the inhabitants that corn is grown here to great per- 

 fection. Rye does finely, as do all the grain crops, but. all those 

 grains which ripen early arc subject to damage from the fogs, 

 which sometimes prevail to a great extent about the time they 

 are in the milk. 



