104 ON MEADOW AND SWAMP LANDS. 



manured for many years. A part was covered with bushes 

 and stunted maples. In the whiter of 1839, I cleared the 

 wood and bushes from the part now improved. The sprouts 

 have been kept down yearly. In August 1843, 1 hired an acre 

 dug over and laid level, (the stumps and hassocks thrown 

 back) for twenty dollars. Such of the small roots and hassocks 

 as became dry, I burned ; the others were carted off as soon 

 as the meadow became frozen. I then covered it with a loamy 

 gravel, one inch thick ; five days labor of two men and a boy 

 and two yoke of oxen. The work was done in the winter, 

 when there was two feet of snow on the ground ; too deep for 

 other labor. I then applied a light dressing of maure, and 

 sowed the grass seed, April 15th. The crop the first year was 

 cut about the last of August, and yielded about one and a 

 half tons. The present year the acre yielded three tons of 

 hay of prime quality. I regret the combination of circum- 

 stances that prevented the Committee's seeing the crop while 

 growing. 



JAMES MARSH. 

 Danvers, Sept. 24th, 1845. 



[ Note. The above mentioned premises were not visited by the Commit- 

 tee, owing to the absence from the State, of the Chairman, at the time speci- 

 fied by Mr. Marsh for the visit.] 



