FARMS. 105 



Copeland prefers shorts to corn-meal, as the former produces 

 more milk. He does not think that beets can be raised cheap 

 enough to take the place of shorts or meal. The milk is carried 

 a distance of four miles to market, in North Bridgewater. 

 When the demand for milk is not equal to the supply, butter is 

 made ; although Mr. Copeland prefers to sell the milk. In the 

 selection of his cows he uses good judgment, making, I should 

 think, but few mistakes. Without this skill in determining the 

 quality of a cow, success would be impossible. The manage- 

 ment of this large establishment, on the whole, is very credita- 

 ble to its owner, although failing somewhat in neatness and in 

 close attention to economy in details. 



Throughout the county, I have observed that farmers are 

 turning their attention more and more to their unreclaimed 

 marshes. The white and yellow pine are again invading thou- 

 sands of acres of poor land, which has become worthless for 

 purposes of cultivation. On this account there is a constantly 

 increasing necessity for more land of a better quality, and the 

 most feasible way of accomplishing this purpose is to encroach 

 upon the domain of the swamps. Now, before this can be 

 done economically enough to justify the expenditure, two 

 things must be well undei*stood — the best method of removing 

 the underbrush, stumps and stones, and the art of draining the 

 land after it is so cleared. 



The proportion of swamp land in the county is very great ; 

 and everywhere I observe farmers at work adding something 

 to their meadow by substracting from their swamp. I have 

 made every effort to obtain reliable information as to the 

 expense of reclaiming such land, but as the work is generally 

 done at odd times, when other work is not pressing, it is difficult 

 to ascertain the cost. Of course the cost would differ very 

 much, as the conditions of the land would differ ; but the 

 results obtained in reclaiming land in various districts, so that 

 the swamps might offer every variety of characteristic, would 

 satisfactorily determine whether it would be justifiable to hire 

 men for this purpose, and set them to work reclaiming these 

 watery wastes. 



Tbe most satisfactory experiment of this kind that has come 

 under my observation, has been made by Mr. Robert Perkins of 

 Bridgewater, who has kindly furnished me with statistics from 



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