MIDDLESEX SOCIETY. 57 



are kept out longer, and by sowing from the first to the middle 

 of July, and letting the oats remain until September, the young 

 grass is not as liable to be killed by the August drought, or the 

 frosts heaving in the winter and spring. 

 Concord, Sept. 12th, 1846. 



Edward Wetherbee' s Statement. 



His meadow contains about six acres. He began his opera- ' 

 tions for reclaiming three years ago last spring. The bottom 

 was too soft and miry to admit of driving on a team. It was 

 not worth more than five dollars an acre. Adjoining it, on the 

 westerly side, was a large sand-bank, which gave an ample 

 supply of material with which to commence the work of re- 

 claiming. He began by carrying on the sand with wheelbar- 

 rows, till the surface would enable him to drive on a team. The 

 whole was covered with sand from four to six inches in depth. 

 A covering of compost manure was then spread over it. In the 

 spring, it was sown with herd's grass and red top. The quantiy 

 of hay produced the present year was three tons to an acre — 

 herd's grass, red top, and clover. The hay is worth ten dollars 

 a ton, — consequently, the product is thirty dollars an acre, — on 

 land, which, three years ago, would not have brought more than 

 five or six dollars, if offered for sale. The whole expense of 

 reclaiming was about twenty-five dollars an acre. 



Acton, Sept. 1846. 



Orchards. 



Thomas S. Tuttle's Statement. 



In the apple orchard which you have examined, fifty of the 

 largest trees were set out in 1840 in April, and are now nine 

 years old from the stock. The remainder were set out in 1842 : 

 those of the largest size are now seven years old. The next 

 class were only one year old when set out, and are now but five 

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