99 



premium contains an acre or more ; the crop, in the judgment 

 of the Committee, would amount to one and one-half tons to the 

 acre of hay, composed of herds grass and red-top. The land 

 afforded a pleasing contrast with similar land adjoining cov- 

 ered with bushes, and unproductive. 



The main drain as well as the laterals are open drains, which 

 readily convey off the water ; and as the subsoil is hard and 

 the ditches on the sides made sloping, they present no obstruc- 

 tion to teaming across, and answer the purpose intended. 



Annexed is Mr. Berry's statement. 



STATEMENT OF JONATHAN BERRY. 



I offer for inspection and premium an acre or more of land 

 in a lot containing about six acres, on two of which I was 

 awarded the second premium in 1855 — this piece at that time 

 being but partially reclaimed ; containing a great many stones. 

 These were removed — many of them sold. An open drain 

 was then made through the field twenty rods in length, from 

 two to three feet wide, and one and one-half feet deep, near 

 the centre of the lot. At the west end is another ditch eisrht 

 rods long, two feet wide, and one and one-half feet deep, run- 

 ning into the main ditch, by which the lot is drained. Part of 

 it was then ploughed into beds, leaving furrows for the water 

 to run off. It was then leveled with soil drawn from the road- 

 side, and about two hundred bushels of leached ashes applied 

 to the acre, then sowed with grass seed. This was in 1859. 

 The following year on a part of the land the hay was very 

 light — about fifteen hundred to the acre. As some parts of 

 the lot were low, the grass was damaged by water. In the fall 

 more soil and one hundred bushels of leached ashes were ' 

 spread. In 1861 the crop was estimated by good judges to be 

 from thirty to forty hundred to the acre. 



The expense of reclaiming it cannot be ascertained, as I had 

 no idea of offering it for a premium, but am well satisfied that it 

 will fully pay all expense. 



