ESSEX SOCIETY. 17 



farms, as by draining and cultivating their meadows. Your 

 committee recommend that a premium be given him of fifteen 

 dollars, and Column's European Agriculture. 



Your committee would observe, that it is their deep im- 

 pression, that one of the best efforts that the Essex County Ag- 

 ricultural Society could make, would be to secure a scientific 

 and practical survey of the meadows of the county. In this 

 way, great and important principles might be developed, much 

 useless labor saved, many disappointments avoided, successful 

 enterprises accomplished with less expense, and the whole labor 

 bestowed on this part of farming, be followed by much more 

 encouraging reward. To give a single illustration : 



Some meadows in this county are flooded with water which 

 comes in the form of springs from the high lands in the vicinity, 

 and can be easily drained by cutting ditches in the borders. 



Others receive their water from springs rising up underneath, 

 and require therefore a different process. 



Many are simple basins, having a hard and impervious bot- 

 tom. They hold the water which is rained upon them, and the 

 little that runs in upon the surface of land around, as water 

 runs into tubs from the roofs of buildings. 



Some swamps no doubt are watered by a combination of all 

 these sources. 



Now, how obvious it is, that in draining these swamps a re- 

 gard must be had to these circumstances ! And how few, com- 

 paratively, are as fully informed, and at present have it in their 

 power to be as fully informed, as would be good and profitable for 

 them to be ! How could the society do better than to investigate 

 the subject, and inform the county ? A few hundred dollars 

 laid out in such a survey, would be followed by manifold more 

 advantages than all the premiums that are likely to be given on 

 reclaimed lands for many years. 



For the Committee. 



G. B. PERRY. 



