32 HAMPSHIRE AGRICULTUBAL 80CIETT. 



upon mankind, than the whole race of mere politicians. He who re- 

 claims meadow-land does more than this. 



In distributing the premiums your committee were united in as- 

 signing the first premium of ten dollars to John Shipman of Hadley ; 

 and tiie secoiad premium of six dollars to Leonard Barrett of Bel- 

 chertown. 



In behalf of the Committee, 



WILLIAM C. FOWLER, Chairman. 

 Amherst, Oct. 20, 1851. 



STATEMENT OF JOHN SHIPMAN. 



To the Committee on reclaimed Meadow Land : 



Gentlemen : — In conforming to the rules of the Hampshire Ag- 

 ricultural Society, I proceed to present to you my experience in re- 

 claiming swamp land. Although more than twenty years have past 

 awcij since I commenced, I will endeavor to give you as correct a 

 statement as possible. 



In April, 1825, I came into possession of fifty acres of swamp land 

 with which I had been familiar from my earliest youth. Forty acres 

 of this land is a peat swamp. Being perfectly level it had in some 

 former years been covered with a large growth of timber, of Pine, 

 Maple, Oak, &lc., which had been destroyed by frequent burning. I 

 well recollect fifty years ago it was literally covered with fallen decay- 

 ed timber. At that time there were but few living trees and but little 

 brush on the land. There grew annually rushes, or as it is called by 

 some, bull grass, to the hight of six or seven feet and very thick. 

 This grass during Autumn and Winter, fell to the earth, and in Spring 

 and often in mid-summer, the land was covered with water to the 

 depth of two feet so that not a particle of the ground could be seen. 



The land is situated about one mile north-east of Hadley. It is 

 bounded on the east by a steep hill from which run large and numer- 

 ous springs. At the time I bought the land it had grown up to brush 

 and small wood. I did nothing- towards draining it the first year. 



In August, 1826, it being a very dry season, I commenced work 

 with six men, and dug a drain north and south through the center 

 six feet at the top, four feet at the bottom, and three and a half deep. 

 As the lot was forty rods in width, I thought it best to have a large 

 drain through the center. We then commenced on the outlet, which 

 is about one mile to where it enters the Connecticut river ; 1 60 rods 

 of this was through higher ground. We had to go from six to ten 

 feet in depth. It was a sandy loam very easy to sliovel, but being 



