140 



'$15. First premium, to Otis F. Putnam of Danvers. 

 $10. Second premium, to George J. Pierce of West New- 

 bury. 

 Isaac F. Knowlton, Nathan Longfellow — Committee^ 



STATEMENT OF OTIS F. PUTNAM OF DANVERS ON IM- 

 PROVED WASTE LAND. 



The lot of land to which I call your attention was, in 

 1878, a forest of about thirty cords' growth of wood per 

 acre. The wood was cut, leaving about one hundred tim- 

 ber trees, of from ten to sixty feet each, ton measure. The 

 bushes were sprouted two or three years and allowed to 

 grow, until 1890, when I bought the farm, of which this 

 lot was part. 



I sprouted the bushes that and the next year, and in 

 November. 1892, commenced digging out all the rocks^ 

 large or small, that appeared on the surface of the ground. 

 We spent 25 days doing the job, which, at 11.50 per day, 

 would cost 137.50. 



We then expended 20 days' labor for men, |30, and 20 

 days for horses, at 1 1 per day, |20. The rocks we drew to 

 the borders of the field, and built in the fall and winter of 

 '92 and spring of '93, about 100 rods of heavy four-foot 

 stone wall around that portion of the field that had before 

 an old rotten rail fence. The small rocks I gave to the 

 Lynn & Boston Street Railway for paving, about 100 two- 

 horse loads. This labor and building the wall I do not re- 

 gard as expense of clearing the lot. In 1893 I commenced 

 ploughing the lot with a National Sulky Plough, and three 

 large horses, with driver, and four men as helpers, getting 

 out all rocks that we found. We worked sixteen and one- 

 half days, at an expense of $123 for men and $49.50 for 

 horses. We then commenced drawing off rocks, large and 

 small, that we turned out, and expended 20 days' labor for 

 men, $30, and 20 days for horses, $20. 



In the winter of 1892 I cut the timber trees and carried 

 them off, leaving 100 stumps to be got out early in tlie 



