PBEPAKING THE GROUND. 



39 



be spread over the surface of the meadow, or removed to 

 the upland, and then we are ready for the sand. This is 

 generally taken from the edges of the swamp upon barrows 

 and plank walks, where the swamp is narrow, and upon 

 cars where the surface to be covered is extensive. The car 

 track (fig. 12) is movable, and is made in sections, each of 

 which consists of two 4 x 4-inch pieces, fourteen feet long, 

 securely fastened together, and bound with strips of iron 

 one-fourth of an inch in thickness, to serve as " rails." In 



. 13. SANDING A MEADOW. 



most cases, it will be found advantageous to place wide 

 boards under the ends of the sections where they come in 

 contact, to prevent them from settling in the muck. The 

 track is laid from the shore to any given point in the mead- 

 ow, and one, or perhaps two, light dump cars placed 

 thereon. If two, they are loaded simultaneously at the 

 shore with clean sand, free from all roots or loam, and 

 pushed out by the men to the required spot, where the 

 sand is dumped on either side of the track, and spread 

 evenly over the muck. This operation is repeated until 



