ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 85 



the last visit, we availed ourselves of the testimony of the Com- 

 mittee on Farms, who were present at that time, and to whom 

 we were indebted for many just remarks. All testified their 

 belief, that such was the uniform produce. Before the last visit, 

 the devouring element of fire had deprived Mr. Bradley and 

 ourselves of examining the quality of the hay, and him of his 

 large barn and all its contents of grain and hay. 



The committee were also much pleased with all Mr. Brad- 

 ley's improvements, opening to view, delightful prospects on the 

 banks of the Merrimack. But we were more particularly in- 

 terested in his wet meadow improvements. At the head of the 

 swale, we observed a lot of several acres of shaking meadow, 

 recently improved, which evidently bore his best grass, and ad- 

 joining a worthless quagmire swamp, which was a sample of 

 his land before he commenced operations. On this improved 

 lot, he had smoothed off the stumps so close as not to interfere 

 with the scythe, thus saving the expense of digging them out, 

 which seemed perfectly to answer all purposes. The commit- 

 tee regret, however, that Mr. Bradley had not given a more de- 

 tailed account in his statement, of his whole process, and " of 

 all incidental expenses." About five acres, as he has stated, he 

 ploughed and seeded without any gravel ; this, it seemed evi- 

 dent by the stubble, was the least productive, and of poorer 

 quality of grass, than on the other parts. 



Mr. Osborn, having favored us with so full a statement, it 

 will be unnecessary for the committee to comment here so much 

 at large. He seems to have proceeded according to the present 

 most approved methods, by thoroughly ditching and thoroughly 

 gravelling a lot of apparently poor land, formerly allotted as a 

 parsonage, adjoining the village of South Danvers ; his meadow 

 surrounded by sharp rocky knolls. He has favored us with a 

 carefully executed plan of his very ingenious method of plough- 

 ing, by means of a running tackle, or snatch-block, which may 

 easily be applied in ploughing very soft and wet meadows. We 

 saw a sample of Mr. Osborn's hay from his reclaimed meadow, 

 and pronounce it of the first quality. 



Mr. Dodge having also given a full, and somewhat detailed 

 statement of his process, his expenses, and the produce of his 



