95 



serve to drjiiu not only the meudoAv, but a hirge tr;ict of low 

 land in the rear of it. The second step was to lay tile or 

 hemlock boards from several springs to the main ditch running 

 through the middle of the meadow. These steps having made 

 the meadow sulliciently dry, the hummocks, hillocks, and 

 tussocks were now attacked with picks and "tormented" with 

 the harrow until the surface was made comparativelj' smooth. 

 In the course of the work, some of the rougher material we 

 carted off and burned. The meadow, duriuii: this and subse- 

 quent treatment, was handled in four sections of about equal 

 area, divided by the road running through it, and the main 

 ditch cutting the road at right angles. One of these sections 

 was the first season ploughed ruid planted to cabbage, and 

 gave an excellent crop. Two of the other sections, in the 

 course of the next two years, were also put under the plough, 

 and yielded, with about the usual quantity of manure, excel- 

 lent crops of Mangold Wurtzels, and Squashes. Potatoes 

 have succeeded well in dry seasons, but in wet seasons are 

 more affected with rot than those o-rown on common soil. 

 Carrots, when tried in a dry season, are much inclined to grow 

 "prongy." xVbout a quarter of the area, after applying to 

 the surface gravelly loam or sand, at the rate of about seven- 

 ty-one horse-cart loads to the acre, has been planted to onions 

 with excellent success. Heavy crops of hay have been taken 

 from every portion of the meadow, usualh' two crops each 

 season. In the early handlin": of this meadow, considerable 

 clay taken from the bottom of the main ditch was spread over 

 the surface. 



IMPROVING PASTURE AND WASTE LAND. 



On the 28th of July, your Committee visited the farm of 

 Joseph Horton, Ipswich, to examine a piece of land entered 

 for premium. There being no other competitor, the Com- 



