522 BRISTOL SOCIETY. 



Farm Improvements. 



The committee on farm improvements, to whom was referred 

 the claim of Hiram Copeland, of Easton, for a premium for 

 reclaiming one acre and three-quarters of bog or swamp land, 

 ask leave respectfully to report : — 



That Mr. Copeland appeared before the committee, at their 

 last meeting in Taunton, and gave an oral account of his 

 modus operandi in reclaiming and subduing said land. Mr. 

 Anson Gilmore also verified his statement as to the treatment 

 of the land, and the measurement thereof. Whereupon, in the 

 absence of the written account herewith presented, — which it 

 was then impossible to obtain, it having been left three miles 

 from the town, — and there being no other competitor for the 

 award, the committee voted to Mr. Copeland, for the aforesaid 

 experiment, the premium of ^10. 



On receiving subsequently the written statement of Mr. 

 Copeland, we are compelled to say, it was not so perfect, full, 

 or explicit, as, from the representations made to the committee, 

 we had anticipated. And we are also of opinion, that, as a 

 general rule, premiums should not be awarded for land thus 

 reclaimed, till the first crop of grass therefrom shall have been 

 ascertained. 



All which is respectfully submitted, by 



Johnson Gardner, for the Committee. 



Hiram Copeland^ s Statement. 



The meadow or swamp land, which I offer for our society's 

 premium, is a part of a swamp that was partially subdued in 

 1824 by digging a ditch through a hill five rods in length and 

 eight feet deep, and covered over to drain the swamp, which 

 was covered with moss and all kinds of bushes. By working 

 from year to year, when it was dry enough, it was laid down 

 to grass, which did tolerably well for some years. After a 

 while, I found there must be something done ; for, where the 

 soil is the deepest, it would dry up in a dry time, and kill the 

 grass out; and, where the soil was shallow, would be too wet. 

 This being the case, I tried small pieces, by making the wet 



