260 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



soil, as well as the apparent chances of regulating its state of 

 moisture, promised to make the field, under proper manage- 

 ment, in an exceptional degree fit for a permanent meadow. 



After lowering the outlet for the water through the adjoin- 

 ing lands at the northern termination of the field, it was de- 

 cided to run, from ten to twelve feet apart, two parallel 

 ditches from north to south, through the lowest part of the 

 land. The ditching began in the month of Auirust. One 

 ditch from three and one-half to four feet below the surface 

 of the ground was to serve as a main ditch for drain tiles six 

 inches in diameter, to prevent an accumulation and subse- 

 quent stagnation of water in the upper soil. The other was 

 an open ditch, on an average from one foot to eighteen 

 inches deep, to assist in a speedy discharge of surface water, 

 due to heavy rains or the melting of the snow and ice on 

 adjoining hillsides in the spring. In both instances the 

 necessary fall was secured to dispose of the surplus water. 

 One surface ditch sufficed for the whole area, while branch 

 tile drains were built to all places where local conditions in- 

 dicated an exceptional state of moisture. The tiles in the 

 branch ditches varied from two to four inches in diameter. 

 A stone drain ten by twenty feet wide and four feet deep 

 served as a filter for the turliid water coming from the ad- 

 joining hillsides in case of heavy rains, before entering the 

 tile drains. The surface ditch ran up to the stone drain, to 

 prevent a general overflow of the meadow in case of excep- 

 tional rainfalls, etc. The deep, swampy places were filled up 

 in part with stones and earth, or earth, as circumstances ad- 

 vised. The entire area was subsequently ploughed deep and 

 left in that state over winter. The succeeding spring a 

 wheel harrow was used to break up the rotten sod. The 

 soil was subsequently ploughed and harrowed repeatedly, 

 until it showed the desirable mechanical condition required 

 for a successful cultivation of summer grain crops. 



Barley and oats were chosen as the first crops. Both 

 were seeded in drills, with rows two feet apart, to permit 

 a thorough destruction of an objectionable foul growth by 

 frequent use of the cultivator and hoe. 



As soon as these crops were harvested, one ton of wood 

 ashes per acre was ploughed in, to assist in the disintegration 



