144 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



little maniu'e and ordinary cultivation, and twice hoeing, as 

 follows : — 



Indian corn, at the rate of 78 bushels per acre. 

 Mangold wurzel, 17|- tons, or 580- bushels per acre. 

 Carrots did not come up well, 220 " " " 

 Potatoes, . . . . 160 " " " 

 Ruta-bagas, . . .230 " " " 

 Flat turnips, . . .315 "' " " 

 Pumpkins, . . .12 tons " " 



Parsnips, .... 60 bushels " " 



The above were all of good quality, except the parsnips, 

 which were each a mass of fibrous roots of little value. The 

 land is now in fine productive condition, and I consider it, for 

 ease of cultivation and productive quality, worth at least three 

 times as much per acre, as any other land in my neighborhood. 

 I have omitted to mention, that I did not surround the meadow 

 with a marginal drain until the second year, therefore did not 

 get full control of the water, and thereby lost the product of 

 the first year by an inundation, caused by the autumnal rains. 

 I feel confident that it is useless to attempt to cultivate such 

 lands until they are thoroughly drained, and this can only be 

 accomplislied by surrounding the land with marginal drains, of 

 equal depth with the main drain, thereby cutting off the springs 

 and diverting the water thus from the surrounding high lands. 

 If this is done, I feel confident that the crops, whether of corn, 

 or roots, will, after the first year, or after the land shall have 

 been ploughed and been exposed one winter to the action of 

 frost, pay good interest on the investment, to say nothing of 

 the happy consciousness of being a public benefactor ; for if 

 he is such who " makes two blades of grass grow where but 

 one grew before," what should be said of him who covers the 

 meadows with grass where none grew before ? 



Grantville, November 10, 1858. 



