143 



The most remarkable instance of reclaiming land in Es- 

 sex county or probably in the state has been going on at 

 the Hospital farm ever since its occupancy as such. The 

 whole northerl}^ slope of the hill on which stands the Hos- 

 pital was literally covered with boulders and stones, which 

 have been gradually removed and the land converted into 

 fertile and productive fields. This has required a great 

 amount of labor, which has been, and is possible by hav- 

 ing a large number of patients, whose most successful 

 treatment requires more or less labor. 



Within two years this improvement has been applied to 

 about fifteen acres of certainly the most forbidding lot of 

 all; covered not only with boulders and stones of all sizes, 

 but trees and bushes, butby the indefatigable efforts of Mr. 

 G. H. Barnes, the farm manager, with his corps of patients 

 who are willing to work, and the necessary hired labor, 

 backed up by nine yokes of heavy oxen and a liberal use of 

 dynamite, good progress has been made. A few acres were 

 planted this year and a prospect of the whole being culti- 

 vated next season. Some seven thousand tons of rock 

 have already been dug out and used in building a neces- 

 sary road through the lot, filling in foundations for the 

 piggery, hennery, etc 



It is a rare sight of late years to see oxen at work on the 

 farm. While it is conceded that ordinarily horses are 

 better adapted to our cleared fields; but for work in clear- 

 ing such land as this, oxen are obviously better, requiring 

 three yokes to draw the heavy plough through the stones 

 and roots. Besides there is an economy in their use; for 

 as here practiced, thrifty cattle are purchased, fed and 

 worked in such a manner that they continue to gain in 

 weight, and at any time, or for any reason can be slaugh- 

 tered for use at the Hospital; so that their labor costs 

 little or nothing. 



SEWERAGE. 



Probably no problem has proved so difficult to solve by 

 the more civilized nations than as to the best method of dis- 



