MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 51 



To Galen Merriam, of West Newton, the Committee awarded 

 the first premium of $10 00 ; — and 



To Benjamin Wheeler, of Framingham, the second premium 

 of $5 00. 



Of the two premiums offered for Pear trees, the first, of $10 00, 

 is awarded to Galen Merriam, of West Newton ; the second, of 

 $5 00, to Eliphalet Wheeler, of Framingham. 



To Simon Whitney, of Framingham, is awarded the premium 

 of $5 00 for the best and only Plum trees to which the atten- 

 tion of the Committee was requested. 



The Committee cannot close their Report without remarking, 

 that very few of the statements offered by the applicants pre- 

 sent details of practice so ample as the Society requires and has 

 a right to expect. Some of them were too meagre to afford 

 much assistance to the Committee. It is hoped that, hereafter, 

 more attention will be given to this subject, and that applicants 

 for premiums will remember, that much of their own time, as 

 well as the time of the Committee, will be saved, if they will 

 prepare written statements, agreeably to the printed rules of the 

 Society, previous to the official visit of the Committee. 



JOS. T. BUCKINGHAM, Chairmayi, 



Reclalmed Meadows. 

 Caleb Wetherbee's Statement. 



The first object, in reclaiming my meadow, was to draw off 

 the water and make it dry, which I did by cutting between five 

 hundred and six hundred rods of ditches. I then began by 

 turfing a piece, taking off the surface and carting the tiu'f to my 

 upland, as I was unable to dry it sufficiently to burn on the 

 meadow. I then carted on loam and gravel and spread them 

 about three inches thick ; made a level surface, and put on 

 about fifteen loads of compost manure to the acre. This Avas 

 done in the fall of the year. In the spring, I seeded with oats 

 and hay-seed, and had a good crop. 



On the next piece, I cut only the hassocks, and put them in 



