18 MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 



The third lot that was viewed by you on the south side of 

 the road, has cost the most money. On this, ditches four feet 

 in width and four in depth, have been cut, and the muck has 

 been spread so as to cover the space (4 rods) between them. 

 One acre and a half of this has been prepared this season, and 

 the seed is now sown. Most of the stumps have been cut out, 

 and the buts are sawed for fencing. No manure will be put on 

 this ground. It is already rich enough. This swamp land is 

 not worth $S per acre to be kept for wood, as pine stumps pro- 

 duce no sprouts, and the maple and the black birch are of slow 

 growth. But I consider this the richest soil that I have on my 

 farm, of 150 acres. 



I sow but one peck of herd's-grass per acre, and two or three 

 pecks of red-top, according to its quality. Four pounds of 

 clover seed are sown in March or April, for fall feed. 



From Amasa Sanderson^ Groton. — The piece of bog meadow 

 I requested you to examine, is described as follows : — Quan- 

 tity, a little spot of four acres; bottom, deep meadow soil, 

 except on the margin, where it borders on the hard land ; native 

 production, a heavy growth of white pine and maple wood and 

 timber. When I purchased this meadow, two years ago last 

 April, it was covered with brush, a few timber trees, a large 

 body of heavy stumps, brake, bogs, and other rubbish. It was 

 valued to me, at that time, at $50 per acre. 



Method of reclaiming : — I first cut all the brush and other 

 small trash; when sufficiently dry to burn, I put fire to it, and 

 it continued to burn for several days, and consumed a very 

 large amount of rubbish. After the fire was extinguished, I 

 commenced removing what it left of wood, timber, and slumps, 

 and I truly think that not less than one hundred cords have 

 been removed. I then planted a part of it with potatoes. 



I commenced clearing tiie meadow, single-handed, in August, 

 1846 ; in September and October, of 1847, a crop of potatoes, of 

 little short of 550 bushels, was taken ofli" from it, of the first 

 quality, worth not less than $25(1, I sold for cash to the amount 

 of rising $2<J0. The improvement on the original value is not 

 less than one hundred per cent. Taking the improved value of 

 the land and the value of the first crop, we have an aggregate 



