76 



ilic third year, tliat is the last, 14^ tons of hay have been sold from 

 these nine acres, at $12 per ton. Nothing has been done to this 

 marsh odier than to sow it with grass seed every year since it was 

 diked. The first year the grass seed took but very imperfectly, as 

 the saltness had not been removed. I hope the application of loam 

 mixed with clay and the land then manured, will be tried here. 



III. The third experiment in reclaiming salt marsh has been 

 made in Gloucester. The town enclosed a piece of salt marsh and 

 effectually excluded the salt water from it. The experiment was 

 unsuccessful where they broke and cut up the surface from an opin- 

 ion that this would render it more productive. The opposite result 

 occurred. A piece of salt marsh adjoining this was dyked ; the fol- 

 lowing is the account of this piece given at my request by a respect- 

 able gentleman, well acquainted with its management and condition. 

 " The Marsh land was diked in 1814. For four years after the salt 

 water was shut our, grass seed was sowed on, with a liberal supply 

 of manure mostly collected in the streets ; since which every other 

 year it has been well covered with stable manure, spread over it in 

 the winter. No land in this vicinity has afforded such abundant 

 crops of hay, having never failed to produce four tons of best qual- 

 ity of hay to the acre at twice mowing ; and then feeding it close 

 every autumn with cows. 



"I have noticed the destructive effects produced by breaking the 

 sod w ith a plough or harrow on marsh well diked. That which joins 

 the piece above described, when turned up, dried into a substance re- 

 sembling cork, and seemed to have no appearance of decay. The 

 piece first described could now be ploughed with ease if it should be 

 necessary, presenting a fine rich mellow soil, the sod being entirely de- 

 composed." This is the condition of the soil of the dyked meadow on 

 Kent's Island, spoken of above. Other experiments in dykeing salt 

 marsh have been made known to me ; but not with sufficient exact- 

 ness to be made the subject of my report. 



Great improvements have been made in reclaiming low wet land 

 or fresh meadow. In some cases it is ditched and the contents of 

 the ditches thrown on to the land, which is thus raised in the middle, 

 and sown with English grass seed. In some cases after being drain- 



