72 ON MEADOW AND SWAMP LANDS. 



wet meadows or swamp lands, on not less than one 

 acre, the course of management, and the produce, &lc., 

 for a period of two years, at least, to be detailed, with 

 a statement of all incidental expenses, &c. 



" For the second best. 



" For the best conducted experiment on not less than 

 one half an acre, with the same requisitions. 



" For the second best." 



Thus it will be seen that every claimant for premium 

 that does not conform to the requisitions of the Society 

 is not entitled to a premium. 



Your committee viewed the several pieces of land of- 

 fered by Mr. Newhall while the grass was standing ; — 

 that belonging to Mr. Phillips was not viewed by the 

 committee until the hay was in the barn. 



Your committee will finish their report by awarding 

 to Josiah Newhall, of Lynnfielu, the first premium, of 

 twenty dollars. 



Respectfully submitted for the committee, 



LEWIS ALLEN. 



Danvers, Dec. 18, 1843. 



JOSIAH N E W H A L 1. • S STATEMENT. 



To the Committee on reclaiming Meadoiv Lands : 



Gentlemen : — Since 1839 I have made several ex- 

 periments on wet meadow and swamp lands, the result 

 of which I now give you. 1 commenced on a lot of peat 

 meadow containing about 3|^ acres, low and very wet, 

 so much so that in wet seasons the grass which grew 

 upon it could not be dried till removed to the adjoining 

 upland, and was then worth little more than the expense 

 of getting. 



After having examined the meadow, and finding that 

 it could be drained, I took up a bridge on a high-way 

 passing the stream below the outlet, and sunk the bed 

 of the stream two feet, continuing it through the middle 

 to the upper part, then cut marginal ditches, taking the 



