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instance has that which was plowed under at the first plowing 

 been even second best, and one year third, and one year the poor- 

 est, and only in one instance has that which Avas spread upon the 

 surface after planting been the poorest, while one year it stood 

 first and one year second best ; that which was plowed in at the 

 second plowing for two years was the third, and one year the 

 poorest, while that which was worked in with the cultivator was 

 the best for two years, and the second best for one year. 



Respectfully yours, 



Charles Breck. 

 • Milton, Bee. 8, 1865. 



REPORT ON UNDERDRAINING LAND. 



The Committee award a premium of $10 to A. W. Cheever, 

 of Wrentham, whose statement is hereunto annnexed. 



For the Committee, 



S. W. RICHARDSON, Chairman. 



Franklin, Dec. 1, 1865. 



STATEMENT OF A. W. CHEEVER. 



Gentlemen — The lot of drained land to which I have called 

 your attention contains about two acres. I cannot give the Com- 

 mittee an exact statement of the cost of bringing it from a birch 

 and alder swamp to its present condition, as it has been done at 

 odd jobs, and in connection with other farm improvements, and at 

 different times, through the management of three generations. 



My grandfather commenced its improvement by cutting off the 

 wood, burning the brush, and by digging an open ditch through 

 the middle to take the water. This he dug for the double pur- 

 pose of making a drain and furnishing muck for the cattle yards, 

 which last I think he must have accomplished, for my first recol- 

 lections of the meadow is of a ditch about fifteen feet wide, and 

 from three to five feet deep, and always full of water except in 

 very dry seasons. Once since I can remember it was dry enough 

 so that my father was enabled to clean out this main drain of the 

 mud that had worked in by the frosts, rains, muskrats, &c., and 

 carted it to the yards ; but in no ordinary years could a team 

 pass over the ground. The bog hay it produced for thirty years 

 was carried out on haypoles. In the fall of 1838, my father 

 having heard of a few successful experiments in growing the 



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