74 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



at the rate of fourteen cart-loads to the acre, which was taken 

 from my barn cellar, where hogs had worked on it. The east 

 and north side of this piece is bordered by an open ditch, 

 thirty rods of which was an old one I reopened in 1866, and 

 I dug thirty rods more new; also, in 1873-74, I put in fifty 

 rods of underground ditch, running in various directions, to 

 tap the quag-holes. This ditch was dug fifteen inches wide, 

 about two and one-half feet deep ; it was constructed by 

 putting two dead white-pine poles, about four inches in 

 diameter, at the bottom, and covering, cross-wise, with inch 

 boards, made from chestnut logs sawed fifteen inches long 

 and split; I filled it by throwing in weeds, brush, bark, etc., 

 to break joints, then covered with earth. This drained the 

 land to perfect satisfaction. 



There were two pond-holes that had such a depth of muck 

 that it was impossible to drive over it, or do anything with 

 it, until we had drawn on three or four inches of clay ; then 

 we seeded top of the clay. The result was we cut the stout- 

 est grass there. 



I estimate the cost of improvement to be, — 



Digging stumps, $20 00 



Ditching, 60 00 



Ploughing, . .• 20 00 



Harrowing, 20 00 



Levelling, 20 00 



Manure, 100 00 



Drawing clay, 15 00 



Grass-seed, 15 00 



Total, $270 00 



The return was two-fifths mowed three years, and three- 

 fifths two years, which I estimate to have produced twenty- 

 six tons of hay, at $15 per ton, standing $390. Net profit, 

 $120. 



DEERFIELD VALLEY. 



Statement of E. G. Hawks of Charlemont. 



The reclaimed swamp land entered by me, is a part of a 

 marsh of several acres lying south of my house, near the foot of 

 the hill, on the road from Charlemont to East Hawley. Fifty 



