72 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



of underdrains were laid in 1862 ; the land planted with 

 potatoes two years and heavily manured each year, and the. 

 next year stocked to grass with oats, for permanent mowing. 

 Two crops have been cut from this lot each year since. Most 

 of these drains are doing good service to-day. 



Lot No. 6 is a swale in the centre of the barn lot, of about 

 three-fourths of an acre. Forty rods of underdrains were 

 constructed in 1849 and 1850. The land was never ploughed, 

 but levelled by bogging. With an annual top-dressing, two 

 heavy crops of grass have been cut each year since. In 1876, 

 twenty-one and a half rods of underdraining were laid on this 

 lot to remedy the failure caused by meadow moles, at the 

 following expense : — 



Digging ditch, at 25 cents per rod, $5 37 



Drawing 45 loads of stone, 12 50 



Filling ditch with road-scraper, 4 00 



Total, $21 87 



Lot No. 7 is a section north of the last, in the same lot, of 

 half an acre. Twenty-five rods of underdrains were laid in 

 1851, with the same treatment and results as iu lot No. 6. 

 These drains in No. 7 are in as perfect condition, apparently, 

 as when first constructed. 



The water from the drains in the last two lots is conducted 

 in open ditches to irrigate the adjoining dry land. 



Lot No. 8 has seventy-three and a half rods of covered 

 drains and forty and a half rods of open drains, made during 

 the years of 1858 and 1860, and are working well. The lot 

 was cultivated with corn and potatoes, thoroughly enriched 

 with manure and seeded with grass, and set with apple-trees 

 for an orchard. The trees have done well, especially near 

 the underdrains, and the lot has produced an extra quality of 

 hay, with an occasional top-dressing of manure. 



Lot No. 9 is a meadow of about four acres further up on 

 the brook, and is annually overflowed. It was never 

 ploughed, although it has been mowed ever since the first 

 settler occupied the farm. 



In 1875, half an acre of this lot was ploughed, highly 

 manured, and reseeded with herdsgrass, redtop, Kentucky 

 blue-prass, and fowl-meadow. 



