50 CHARLES ANTHONY GOESSMANN 



From a study of water taken from the subsoil in 

 different parts of the marsh lands, of samples of soil, 

 and of the crops raised the first season, he advised as 

 absolutely indispensable the adoption of an efficient 

 system of drainage, after which attention should be 

 given to the improvement of the chemical and physical 

 condition of the soil by thorough cultivation. 



Second Paper. Report on the salt marshes above the 

 mouth of Green Harbor River in the township of 

 Marshfield, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. (Agri- 

 culture of Massachusetts, 1875.) 



This paper was a continuation of Dr. Goessmann's 

 report on the reclaimed salt marshes in Marshfield. 

 As a result of drainage he found an improvement over 

 the previous year in the composition and level of the 

 subsoil waters, resulting in a change in the colour of 

 the surface soil and the rapid decomposition of organic 

 matter underlying the sod. Wherever drainage was poor 

 on account of a hard clay subsoil, vegetation was killed 

 or seriously injured by an excessive amount of salines 

 in the soil. Only a small part of the best-drained land 

 was suitable for general cultivation as yet, the greater 

 part of it being seeded to grass without ploughing. 

 Both grass and vegetables gave promise of good crops 

 until largely destroyed by grasshoppers in late June. 



He recommended that one general plan for the 

 drainage of the entire area of the marshes be devised 

 and put in operation, and that the land be thoroughly 

 ploughed wherever the sod became too spongy to sup- 

 port a good grass crop. 



