ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 129 



these meadows and swamp lands, that we have within our 

 knowledge several instances, where the first crop has amply paid 

 the whole expense of the operation of reclaiming. 



If I have succeeded in showing the true or supposed value of 

 the kinds of wet meadows and swamps, referred to, it remains 

 for me to attempt to show the best methods of managing them 

 after draining. Some think best to dig over the land, throwing 

 out the stumps, which, it has been found, may be done at an 

 expense of from twenty to thirty dollars per acre. But it is 

 found, in numerous instances, that the stumps, for fuel, will well 

 pay all the expense of throwing them out. If, then, the expense 

 of getting out the stumps is thus cancelled, and the expense of 

 digging over amounts to twenty dollars or more, per acre, it 

 would undoubtedly be much cheaper to plough the ground 

 when practicable, by attaching a pair of wheels to the plough, 

 to remedy the difficulty of driving the off oxen in the furrow, 

 which would be miry, and thus bringing the oxen on to the 

 swarded and harder part of the meadow. Where all parts of 

 the ground have been found too soft for oxen to travel, some in- 

 genious men have contrived the method of fastening a strong 

 rope to the plough, running to the upland, or hard edge of the 

 meadow, and passing through a running tackle, and driving the 

 oxen at right angles with the furrows. The ground, I find, 

 may be thus ploughed with more expedition, than one at first 

 would suppose : the plough will run, with a roller attached, or 

 even with only a rolling cutter, without going too deep. Un- 

 doubtedly, many other expedients, which Yankee ingenuity 

 could suggest, may be adopted. But there are many tracts of 

 such meadow, which are already free from bushes and trees, 

 where there would be no need of inverting the sod. In such 

 cases, after the land is well drained by main, cross and margi- 

 nal ditches, it may be covered with one inch only, of coarse 

 gravel, which may be hauled on, in the leisure of Avinter, (when 

 the meadow is also hard with frost,) and spread the following 

 summer, and which will take about 150 loads to the acre, cost- 

 ing, as some have found, about ten dollars. Then may be 

 spread on a light top-dressing of ashes, or compost manure, cost- 

 ing, perhaps, as much more. This land may then be sowed 

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