92 



from an alder swamp. The steps taken by Mr. Duraraer are 

 stated in his report. The water level being from necessity within 

 a foot of the surface of most of the area as late as through 

 planting time, of necessity limiting the crop that it is possible to 

 raise upon it to the grasses, and the presence of some of the 

 varieties of plants that thrive in wet and cold soil, gives evidence 

 that the water needed to be lowered in the ditch, which though 

 shallow, had become partly filled with soil. Still the committee 

 had reason to believe that with but a small additional outlay, 

 during the period remaining of the lease, Mr. Dummer would 

 obtain for the laud considerable more than sufficient to repay 

 him all the expense incurred. Assuming that the owner himself 

 had entered on this investment, how would the case have stood? 

 Assuming that his course and outlay had been the same as 

 Mr. Dummer, and with like results, then in five years, he would 

 have received back all his outlay, with more than the interest on 

 the investment, and in addition a worthless alder swamp turned 

 into productive grass land, a permauent profit. 



The experiment of Mr. Dummer \s one of especial value to 

 the farmers of Essex County, for two reasons : 1st, because as far 

 as it has gone, it demonstrates that it may pay any man to re- 

 claim waste land, even when not his own, on terms that will 

 make the work a profit to both parties concerned in the enter- 

 prise ; and secondly it proves that there is a kind of low laud in 

 the county, that it will pay to reclaim even when the water in 

 the early part of the seasou, stands within a foot of the surface. 

 Your committee awarded to Mr. Dummer the premium of $15. 

 J. J. H. Gregory — For the Committee. 



STATEMENT OF N. N. DUMMER OF ROWLEY. , 



The land which is entered for premium is a piece of pasture 

 containing about 15 acres situated on the east side of the New- 

 buryport Turnpike, near Glen Mills in Rowley. This pasture 



