PREPARING THE GROUND. 49 



the manner of preparing the ground. But, however favor- 

 able the location, if the bottom is not completely drained 

 and well managed, it will fail to produce good results. 

 One great source of failure is imperfect drainage. 



Mill-pond bottoms require no turfing; the standing water 

 having destroyed the growth of bushes, etc., since none 

 but aquatic plants can exist when entirely submerged. 



If the soil is about an equal mixture of sand and muck, 

 no extra sand will be required; but should the bottom 

 consist of muck alone, it must be covered, and to accom- 

 plish this, several methods have been adopted ; for instance, 

 the swamp may be flooded, and the sand taken out upon 

 rafts and thrown into the water, stakes being used to 

 murk where it is deposited. Or, it may be spread evenly 

 over the surface of the ice in winter, and, when the ice 

 thaws the bottom will be well sanded. 



Railroad cars and tracks are used to advantage in cov- 

 ering extensive tracts; but the cheapest and most expedi- 

 tious method that has come to our notice was one adopted 

 by Joseph Hinchman, the practicability of which he proved 

 by thoroughly covering with sand a mill-pond, containing 

 eighty acres, in a few weeks, with the assistance of two 

 or three men. 



Water was the vehicle used to carry the sand, and to 

 utilize it the stream was dammed near the head of the 

 swamp, which caused the water to flow in raceways con- 

 structed upon each side of the meadow. He then com- 

 menced at the lower end, and, by turning all the water 

 into one channel, succeeded in washing away high knolls, 

 or banks, and depositing the sand evenly over the surface 

 of the meadow. The secret of success seemed to lie iu 

 keeping the channel in form like the arc of a circle at 

 the place where the washing was going on, and to do this 

 was the principal work of his assistants. 



The banks of this mill-pond contained more or less 

 clay in combination with the sand, and, had they been 

 3 



