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value before, which have been laid dry in this way, and arc now 

 under easy cultivation, bearing good crops of grass, potatoes, and 

 Indian Corn. 



I am, Gentlemen, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



HENRY COLMAN. 



September 30, 1829. 



JESSE PUTNAM'S STATEMENT. 



To the Trustees of the Essex Agricultural Society. 



Gentlemen — Having observed for several years past, that premi- 

 ums were oifered by your Society for the improvement of wet 

 meadow lands ; — and not having learned that any persons have pre- 

 sented claims for these premiums, in years past, I am induced to 

 state for your consideration, the manner in which I have dealt with 

 my meadows, as I have had opportunity. It will be a source of 

 satisfaction to me, if my mode of management shall be found to 

 meet your approbation. It was not done with a view to obtaining 

 any other premium, than that which I expected to find, rn the im- 

 proved produce of the land, both in quantity and quality ; — and in 

 this I have not been disappointed. 



My first experiment was made on about three-fourths of an acre 

 of land in 1807 and 8. It was a miry, wet meadow; spongy, and 

 impossible to be carted on, except when frozen. It yielded very 

 little but polypod, and very little of that. We considered what 

 grew on it, as of scarcely any value. I commenced by carting 

 about two hundred loads of stubble stones, and spreading the same 

 upon the surface of the meadow, when it was frozen. I then ditch- 

 ed it, with ditches about three feet wide, and between two and three 

 rods apart, and spread the materials that were taken from the same 

 over the stones. I then carried on gravel and loam sufficient to 

 cover the stones, and make the surface smooth. Where there were 

 no stones, the gravel was carried on from four to six inches in 

 depth. After this I put on a coating of soil and compost manure, 

 about one inch thick, mixed together. Sowed it down with herds- 

 grass, red top, and clover, with oats. The first year it yielded a 

 fair crop of oats, that were mowed for fodder. The second year, it 

 produced at least two tons to the acre ; and has continued to pro- 

 duce as much as that, each year since. In addition to the first 



