MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 53 



The meadow produced this season about 3 tons of good hay to 

 the acre. 



The expense of cutting bushes, and carting gravel and loam, 

 was $25 per acre. The mud paid well for ditching, the wood 

 for taking out and bogging. 



Pepperell, Sept. \2th, 1846. 



Stephen Morse's Statement. 



In the fall of 1841, I commenced on the meadow now oflered 

 for premium, first, by cutting a ditch 4 feet wide and from 3 to 

 4 feet deep, through the centre ; afterwards, by cutting border 

 ditches sufficient to keep the water from standing upon the sur- 

 face, as was usual previous to ditching. In August, 1842, I 

 covered about half an acre sufficient to kill the wild grass, then 

 spread on at the rate of about 20 common cartloads of compost 

 manure to the acre, and sowed it with herd's grass. In 1843 

 and 1844, in August, I fixed over an acre in the same way. In 

 1845, I fixed over an acre by bogging and burning, and then 

 spreading the ashes made from the turf upon the same, and 

 sowing without any other manure. The last-named mode is 

 much the cheapest I have ever tried, (not costing, at the utmost, 

 more than $25 per acre,) and, I think, much the best way that 

 a miry meadow like mine can be improved. 



I cut from the acre last mentioned, at the first mowing, nearly 

 or quite 3 tons of hay. I have cut, the present year, two very 

 heavy crops from all, except that portion fixed last year. On a 

 large portion of the meadow, previous to 1841, I cut but a small 

 crop of poor hay, and that had to be polled to the hard land ; 

 now I drive my oxen upon all that is reclaimed. I consider it 

 decidedly the most profitable land I have on my farm. 



Marlborough, Sept. Sth, 1846. 



