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some. In the vicinity of Exeter, N. H., the common horse- 

 tail rush (equisetum piatense), was so troublesome that it had 

 to be exterminated, from several fields, before the tiles would 

 work successfully. Knowing these obstacles, we should guard 

 against them ; and we cannot but believe, that in the future, 

 this whole subject will be better understood, and that under- 

 draining will be practised by nearly every farmer. 



T. C. Thurlow, for the committee. 



STATEMENT OF WM. W. PERKINS. 



The piece of land entered for premium, by me, consists of 

 six acres, situated on the west side of High street, in Newbury. 

 The land is mostly level, and appears to be very difficult to 

 drain ; the soil consists of a rich, dark loam, from one foot to 

 eighteen inches in depth, with a clay subsoil. In years past it 

 was used as a pasture, but was afterwards ploughed and seed- 

 ed to grass. For a few years it has been sown to onions most- 

 ly, but has always been a difficult piece to till, owing to the 

 surface water, and its hardness in a dry season and its cold- 

 ness in a wet one. Some form of drainage has always been 

 found necessary, so the land was ploughed in beds, with shal- 

 low, open ditches between, and during the spring and fall 

 considerable time was spent in cleaning out these ditches. On 

 one part, say an acre, I think we have hardly produced enough 

 to pay for manure and labor, on account of water, that part of 

 the field being very springy. 



In the fall of '82 I decided to underdrain it. The land ap- 

 pearing to be very level, I procured the service of a Civil En- 

 gineer ; he first found the lowest point for the outlet, with suf- 

 ficient fall for taking off the water ; he then gave me the level 

 for the main drain, staking out every fifty feet. I then staked 

 out the lateral or side drains, in the same manner, excepting 

 taking the level, there being sufficient fall on the laterals with- 

 out taking the level. After all were measured and staked out, 

 I drew a plan of the field, a copy of which I enclose with my 

 statement. 



