97 



His concludivg paragraph ivas so hristlmg with points for 

 further information^ that in response to a request, he made the 

 following reply : 



In reply to your inquiries — First, the underdraining was done 

 with hemlock boards, one board 7 inches wide and another 8 

 inches wide nailed together A shape with no bottom, as it was 

 a hard clay bottom, with a few small rocks on each side so that 

 the water would filter in. The drain did not average two 

 feet deep on account of the little fall I had. I prefer boards to 

 tile on account of frost. The cost of hemlock boards is $10 

 per 1000 feet. They have been proved to last underground 25 

 years. I have found them to work admirably so far. I drained 

 about four acres this way; the land before drained grew nothing 

 but wild swamp grass, and now about 4^ tons to the acre of 

 splendid herds-grass and red clover. 



We raise Sugar Beets solely for cows, which I consider very 

 valuable compared with the coarse Mangolds. The amount of 

 milk is much larger and of better quality, which I have proved. 



I have never analyzed them for sugar but should think the 

 per cent, was larger than I saw in the '' Massachusetts 

 Ploughman" of last week, as an average, for they are solid, 

 close grained and very sweet, the pure article, which I am 

 happy to say I have always had. 



I have also been very successful in improving old sod-land 

 of 25 years down, by plowing deep in October and laying down 

 to grass again just before the ground freezes up, late in Novem- 

 ber, so that the seed will not germinate before Spring. I think 

 it is equally as good as cropping it with culinary vegetables, 

 sapping the ground again and encouraging weeds, which are no 

 friends of mine. 



It is a little more work to grade it down right. My system 

 after ploughing is to manure with barn yard manure, 6 cords 

 to the acre, wheel-harrowed in; then brush-harrow the seed so 

 that the grass gets the best of the weeds before the warm 

 weather of the next summer. I have raised four tons to the 

 acre by following this way. I consider the old sod I turned 



