No. 144.J 523 



sources whence to obtain them are well understood by all. Where 

 hassocks occur on the surface, they may be turned over after 

 being cut and burned, thus supplying potash and other iugredi- 

 entSj but the paring and burning system, or burning at all of the 

 whole surface, should never be appealed to, for the same results 

 will occur by the certain chemical changes consequent upon cul- 

 tivation without burning, and will present these results in proxi- 

 mate conditions, instead of ultimates, as when burned. When 

 small quantities of soils can be brought from the adjacent high- 

 lands, even when from abrupt sides, furnishing only sub or under 

 soils, they may be thrown on the meadow with proiit, for they 

 act as a divisor to the compact organic matter, besidts supply- 

 ing in after time a continuance of inorganic pabulum for crops. 

 Often the sides of the adjacent mountains will furnish old char- 

 coal hearths or charcoal braize, and this is of great value to a 

 restored meadow, for independent of the potash thus furnished, 

 the carbon prevents the soil from breaking, and renders it homo- 

 geneous like older soils. Pure gravel may even be profitably 

 used as a divisor, for the chemical action in a decomposing peaty 

 soil is so strong, that the integrants of the gravel will yiehl at the 

 surface of particles and furnish food for plants. We should be 

 glad to receive any facts in relation to this subject of restoring 

 waste lands and swamps, and shall cheerfully place them before 

 our readers. 



Paul Stillman — Does land on which water of rains can stand 

 one day require drainage? 



Prof. Mapes replied that drainage was in almost any land an 

 improvement. (See his remarks.) 



Dr. Waterbury— When we find rain water standing for a time 

 in old post holes about the farm, draining is indicated. I have 

 seen wells of 8, 16, and 30 feet deep at short distances apart, and 

 the shallow wells contained water, while the 30 feet deep well 

 was dry. 



Prof. Mapes— No doubt owing to the interposition of rock or 

 impermeable material of some sort. 



