IMPROVING PASTURE AND WASTE LAND. 69 



vegetable matter diffused through it, and when it is burned, 

 the sand remains behind in a heap, resembling pure ashes. 

 Mr. Horton's experiment is different ; he alleges that his 

 ashes were the result of the burning of bushes and roots. 

 The "heath" and peat lands of England and Ireland are very 

 different from our waste lauds, and the methods of treatment 

 for recovery cannot well be the same. 



The treatment pursued by Mr. Horton is essentially that 

 which was adopted by our forefathers one and two hundred 

 years ago. A rare old book may be found in the library of 

 the Essex Agricultural Society, entitled, "Essays upon Field 

 Husbandry in New England, by Jared Elliot, A. M.," pub- 

 lished in 1760, in which a statement is made, on page 6, of 

 experiments in reclaiming waste land, which in methods 

 adopted closely resemble those of Mr. Horton. It is to be 

 regretted that we have so little which is new to present upon 

 so important a branch of husbandry. 



Jas. R. Nichols. 



HAMPDEN. 



Statement of H. M. Sessions, South Wilbraham. 



The success that has attended the experiments in draining 

 on different sections of my form, can be better understood 

 by actual observation on the premises, than by any descrip- 

 tion that can be given on paper. There are nine separate 

 lots, or sections of lots, that have been drained at different 

 times,' running back over a period of twenty-six years. A 

 map has been drawn of the different lots drained, giving a 

 view of the exact locality of each drain, both open and 

 covered. The plan first adopted is essentially the same as 

 that now practised, with such improvements as have been 

 suggested by actual trial. Underdrains of stone have been 

 most generally used ; though open drains are used in some 

 sections, for want of time to fill them ; and in other sections 

 they have been used in preference to covered drains, to carry 

 off the accumulated surface-water, and to receive that from 

 the underdrains. The construction of these underdrains 

 varies. A few have been laid in the form of a culvert, but 



