83 



by the aid of the inmates of the house, I feel a pride in pre* 

 senting it to the notice of the Committee and Society : both 

 because of its being a valuable improvement on the farm, 

 and as an exemplification to others of what patience and 

 perseverance will accomplish. Having no personal interest 

 in the matter, and being entirely uncertain how long I shall 

 remain in the position I now occupy, as master of the house, 

 I feel that I may, without any impropriety, so far boast of 

 what has been done. 



Darners, October 27, 1853. 



I, Wingate Merrill, Chairman of the Overseers of the 

 Poor, in Danvers, having been fully acquainted with all the 

 operations above detailed, the same having been executed 

 with the approbation of the Board of Overseers, am clearly 

 of the opinion that the crop, the present season, has not been 

 over-estimated by Mr. Page, the Master of the House. 



Royal A, Merriam's Statement. 



In the year 1808, forty-five years ago, (probably one of 

 the first efforts made in the county, for redeeming bog mea- 

 dows,) a piece of worthless meadow, the most worthless of 

 any land on the farm, was operated upon, by covering with 

 gravel and about two inches of loam from the roadside, and 

 sowing down to English grass — and I have never known 

 this land to produce less than one ton of English hay to the 

 acre. This year, the crop was larger. A few bunches of 

 meadoAv grass have occasionally made their appearance, 

 which have been shaved off, perhaps half a dozen times. 



In 1832 I engaged, with some ardor, in working over bog 

 meadow, by leveling up a part of my garden, which bor- 

 dered on a bog. Some more of the adjacent bog was, at 

 that time, reclaimed ; but I found that I was Avorking at 

 great disadvantage, on account of the superabundant water, 

 and that I could not do much till my neighbor below should 



