112 



IMPROVING WET MEADOWS AND SWAMP LANDS. 



clay bottom. After cutting the wood and bushes off, I ploughed ic 

 with four heavy oxen, and by repeated cross ploughing, harrowing, 

 and digging the stumps out, have got it in a condition for root crops 

 of almost any kind. 



The first year I planted it mostly with potatoes, and lost the 

 principal part of the crop by the rot. Before planting, I run a 

 ditch through it, stoned and covered it. In 1854 I planted it with 

 potatoes, corn, squashes, peas, beans, cabbages, ruta baga, and sugar 

 beets, from the most of which I had a good crop. But not then 

 thinking of offering it for a premium, I did not keep any account of 

 them, but I hesitate not to say that, with the brush cut off the land 

 and made into faggots, with the crops, it considerably more 

 than paid the expenses of the first two years. 



This season (1855) I run another blind ditch through it, and 

 planted it with corn, potatoes, beans, peas, squashes, ruta baga, su- 

 gar beets, carrots, cabbages and flat turnips. The early potatoes 

 yielded well, and were dug and sold in July, from 9s to 10s 6d 

 per bushel. Corn being planted between the rows, the late ones did 

 not yield well. There was also a failure in the peas, which I think 

 was caused by the use of guano ; they run very much to vines, 

 and the peas mildewed. 



Dr. 



To 358 days' labor of man and 



horse, at 75 cts per day, to date $268.50 



4 davs hire of ox team, 22.00 



S-4 of daj- horse team, 3.00 

 In 1855, about 6 cords of manure, 24 00 



1-2 bag of guano, 1.75 



8 bushels of ashes, 1.00 



95 apple trees, at 16 cents each, 15.20 



MEADOW. Cr. 



1536 faggots, at 2J cents each, $39.40 



5 1-2 cords of wood, 84.12 



Crops gathered in 1855 

 67 baskets of com, 33.50 



Early potatoes, peas and beans sold, 41 20 

 40 bushels of potatoes, stored, 30.00 



4 full horse cart loads of sugar beets, 20.00 

 J large wagon load noarrow squashes 20.00 

 1 bushel of dry beans, 2.00 



1 " peas, 2.00 



Corn fodder, 20.00 



850 cabbages, not gathered, 17.50 



Carrots not gathered, 20.00 



Ruta baga not gathered, and flat 

 turnips, 15.00 



$294.72 

 At the lowest estimate of crops of 



JS53 and 1S64 150.00 



$335.45 



$444.72 



Lynn, Nov. 14, 1855. 



