RECLAIMED MEADOWS. 



71 



off all the water, and then plough deep, and bring up the soil, 

 whatever it may be, to the action of the sun and air. I will 

 now give the value of the crop on one acre for the last three 

 years : — 



Products : — 



Two years in corn, 80 bushels, at 92 cents, 

 4 tons of corn fodder, at $5, 

 20 bushels of oats, at GO cents, . 



Expenses : — 



Cutting brush and preparing the la 



plough, .... 

 90 rods of drain, at 12^ cents, . 

 Ploughing and harrowing, . 

 Seed corn and oats, . 

 Hay seed, .... 



35 loads of manure, . 

 Planting, hoeing, and harvesting, 



Profit on crop, 



Increased value of the land, 



id to 



$73 GO 

 20 00 

 10 00 



$103 GO 



Total gain, 



. $G8 10 



Statement of Avery D. Hubbard. 



My swamp contains about five acres, one acre of which I offer 

 for the examination of the committee. Previous to my coming 

 in possession it was drained around the edge, and was so dry 

 as to permit a team on it in a dry time. It bore a small quan- 

 tity of coarse sage grass, barely sufficient to pay for cutting. 

 At that time I offered the land for sixteen dollars an acre. 

 Becoming satisfied that it was too wet to improve, I let a man 

 cut a drain for the muck, thus dividing my swamp, and leaving 

 little more than an acre in the lot I have reclaimed. On about 

 twenty rods of the least boggy part I cleared off the bogs and 



