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ed, gravel and loam have been carted on, and grass seed has then been 

 sown with success. In cases where the lands can be conveniently 

 ploughed after being drained, they are ploughed and harrowed, and 

 at once laid down with oats and grass. Two of the best farmers, 

 who have experience in the management of this kind of land, are of 

 opinion that sand is a much belter application to these lands than 

 gravel. Their yield in grass, after they are thus treated, is most 

 abundant. 



IV. One of these gentlemen whose redeemed meadows though 

 not of peat, yet are of a peaty character, has found this sort of land, 

 after it was thus "brought to," extremely favorable to the growth of 

 rye. He applied sand and gravel, and manured the land with ashes, 

 and the scrapings of the street ; and from one-eighth of an acre, and 

 four quarts sowing, he obtained 5^ bushels of rye. The land after- 

 wards produced two tons of hay to the acre. His redeemed mead- 

 ows, he says, have sometimes produced four tons to the acre. 



The improvements of this kind throughout the county are very 

 numerous and valuable. My limits will allow me to speak of but two 

 other individual cases. 



V. On one of the farms to which I refer there were seventy acres 

 in low meadow, which, before its recent improvement, were saturated 

 with water, and produced nothing better than a coarse swale or water 

 grass. They were inaccessible to cattle, excepting in the dryest 

 season, and abounded with hassocks, flags, and rushes. 



The soil of this extensive meadow is a bog of dark mud, decayed 

 vegetable matter, varying in depth from eighteen inches to several 

 feet ; resting upon clay highly charged with sand, and when dry 

 becoming friable. The owner has effected a great improvement in 

 draining a large portion of this meadow, and changing its produce 

 into English hay of the finest description, herds grass, clover and 

 red top. The whole meadow is under the same process of improve- 

 ment, and in a short time will probably be altogether reclaimed, pre- 

 senting one of the most skilful and successful operations of the kind 

 to be found in the state. 



The farmer began by cutting one large open drain or ditch 



