59 



I have raised garden vegetable seeds enough to fill nearly t^YO 

 thousand papers, and shall exhibit a box of them at the coming 

 Show in Dedham. Respectfully, 



E. H. Blackman. 



Note. Mr. Blackman's statement i.s accompanied with a minute account of 

 the gales of different articles from his garden, this season, and of the value of 

 others newh^ grown, and yet remaining there, — the total amount of which, after 

 deducting fifteen dollars for his boy's labor, is $197.14. 



REPORT ON BIPROVING MEADOW AND SWA]\IP 



LANDS. 



Your Committee have received but one application for premium 

 on improved lands. Mr. Henry L. Stone, of Needham, has for- 

 warded to the Committee the statement accompanying this Report. 

 We visited the farm of Mr. Stone while his crops were growing, 

 and found them in very good condition, and the meadow was free 

 from Avater, but it appeared to us that the marginal drain might 

 be deepened Avith advantage, and we would here suggest that 

 there is no danger that marginal drains will be made too deep. 

 They should always be sunk sufficiently low to cut off all springs 

 or vfeins within three feet of the surface. 



Taking the cost of reclaiming in connection with the amount 

 produced by Mr. Stone's land, the Committee consider him en- 

 titled to the first premium, and recommend that it be awarded ac- 

 cordingly. 



We believe that this and other reports which have from year to 

 year been presented to the Society upon the matter of reclaiming 

 meadows, sufficiently show, that this is in general a profitable 

 operation for the farmer, but in this as in all other investments, 

 the circumstances attending each particular case must determine 

 whether it will be profitable or not ; and unless these circumstances 

 are fully considered, that which is in the abstract a profitable 

 operation, may in practice prove a losing one ; for instance, it 

 would be folly for a man who had as much good tillage land as he 

 had capital to cultivate, to devote his time and means to reclaim- 

 ing meadow or swamp lands. In a word, we hope that nothing akin 

 to the " hen fever" will invade this or any other department of 

 Agriculture. 



All of which is respectfully submitted, 



B. F. DUDLEY, Chairman. 



