148 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



trust I shall not be too severely criticised if I follow their 

 example. 



Ten years ago, when I purchased the faiTn upon which I 

 now live, there was a run through it, surrounded by quite 

 high hills, upon the sides of which nothing grew but the coars- 

 est grass, some skunk cabbage, dog-wood and wild grape- 

 vines. No creature attempted to go upon that land : it was 

 springy, and there was no chance for pasture. I commenced 

 1 system of under-drainage. I was unfortunate in not having 

 any previous knowledge, and I made many mistakes ; I paid 

 for what little experience I received with a large price. I 

 have travelled somewhat in diiferent parts of the State, and 

 have seen men attempting to reclaim land of that description 

 who are making similar mistakes to those which I made. 

 The first thing I did was to put on large quantities of sand, 

 thinking that I could in that way overcome the water, — I 

 had not heard our friend Colonel Wilson of Boston lecture 

 upon under-drainage then as much as I have since ; but I found 

 that the water would come up as fast as I could put on the 

 sand, and all that labor was lost. Next I determined upon 

 a system of under-drainage ; but I was not wise enough to 

 procure the services of a skilled civil engineer, and went to 

 work in my own way, and after laying quite an amount of 

 drain, I found that while the water was taken out of the 

 mud my drainage was not carried ofl*. I had made the same 

 mistake that Captain Moore alluded to this morning, — my 

 outlet was not low enough. I want to emphasize what he 

 said, — perhaps there is no need of it, — but I know that a 

 good many make that mistake of not getting their outlet 

 low enough to begin with. Then I did not have a sys- 

 tem of drains in between where I laid my original drains, 

 which is of the utmost importance. I have put them in 

 since, and now I have got them too close. There was 

 an extra expense. Perhaps I am taking too much time 

 upon this point, but I know its importance. It would have 

 been of great value to me if I had had the advice that I am 

 giving to farmers now, — to secure the assistance of a com- 

 petent and skilful engineer, and get the grades of their 

 drains all right and a proper system of drainage established 

 to commence with. I was obliged in the locality of which 



