1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



107 



"I met to-day an intelligent farmer who has had 

 three different farms in this State, and has lost 

 them successively by adjudications adverse to 

 his title." And, in spealdng of the privileges of 

 miners, he adds : '"To dig up a man's fenced gai'- 

 den, or dig down his house, in quest of gold, is 

 the legal right of any miner," subject, of course, 

 to payment of damages, if the roving miner 

 should prove responsible. 



For the A'ew England Farmer. 

 KECLAIMIIfG SALT MARSHES. 



Mr. Editor : — I have been looking into your 

 Farmer for the last three years to se-j something 

 touching the marine meadows that line the shores 

 of New England. They have received very little 

 attention, judging from the agricultm-ai papers, 

 and the reports of the State and county societies. 

 Though salt marsh was successfully reclaimed a 

 hundred years ago by Rev. Jared Elliot, of Kil- 

 lingworth, Ct., and fine crops of clover and herds 

 gi'ass produced, I do not now know of half a dozen 

 instances where the improvement has been made. 



From the little experience and observation I 

 have had of these lands, I am persuaded that they 

 are much the best grass lands in the country, and 

 that no improvement upon a shore farm will paj- 

 so well as the reclaiming of these wastes. There 

 are thousands, yes, millions of acres, of these 

 marshes lying all along our sea-board, that can be 

 economically reclaimed. They now produce a va- 

 riety of marine grasses that barely pay the ex- 

 pense of cutting. Cattle eat a little of the hay, by 

 way of relish, but do not thrive upon it. The best 

 use it can be put to, is bedding and manure mak- 

 ing. For the purpose of calling the attention of 

 your readers along the seaboard to these unprized 

 lands, I M-ish to make a brief statement of a little 

 operation, that has come under my own observa- 

 tion. 



The reclaimed marsh lies within the limits of 

 Stonington borough, and just inside of the Prov- 

 idence and Stonington Railroad. It embraces 

 about nine acres, one of which is now occupied by 

 the Stonington and New London Railroad, leav- 

 ing about eight acres of the improved land. A 

 small stream runs through it in the winter. In 

 the fall of 1855, a side gate was put into the cul- 

 vert, at the railroad embankment, through which 

 this stream empties into the sea. This culvert 

 was the only outlet, and the gate completely con- 

 trolled the access of the sea-water. As the cul- 

 vert was made of stone, and the passage was only 

 about four feet in width and depth, the expense 

 of stopping the sea-water was small, not exceed- 

 ing five dollars. The old ditches around the edge 

 of the marsh Avere cleared out, and some new 

 ditches M'cre made, cutting off" all the fresh water 

 that came in from the adjoining uplands. The 

 marsh could only be cbained about eighteen 

 inches, owing to the stone bottom of the culvert, 

 and the small rise and fall of the tide at this place. 



The first summer after the tide gate was put in, 

 nothing was done with the land, except to mow it, 

 and watch the change in the vegetation. It had 

 been the custom of the former owners of the 

 marsh, to get about two loads of salt hay on the 

 nine acres, not enough to pay for mowing. The 



first season after the improvement, the hay was 

 more than doubled, and the quality was very 

 much improved. It was also observed that dande- 

 lions, dock, and other upland plants, had started 

 iu many places. It was inferred that grasses 

 would grow where weeds did, and in the fall of 

 1850 and the spring of '57 clover, herds grass and 

 red-top seeds were sown on the greater part of 

 the marsh. Some of it was sown upon the snovr. 

 Nothing Avas done to the seed, by way of cover- 

 ing ; most of it took well, and pure herds grass, 

 three feet high, was cut in July from seed soAvn 

 about three months before. 



Seeing that the land Avas disposed to make so 

 good returns, for every thing that Avas done for it, 

 the ncAV OAvncr spread various kinds of soil upon 

 the surface, to help the groAvth of the grass anoth- 

 er season. Garden soU, gravel, yellow loam, ditch 

 mud and compost from the yard, Avere spread on 

 in various places. The poorest grass Avas upon 

 that part that had no di-essing, but this yielded 

 not far from a ton to the acre. That dressed Avith 

 gravel yielded better, that Avith yellow loam bet- 

 ter still, that Avith garden soil better yet, and that 

 dressed Avith ditch mud Avas about equal to that 

 covered with compost. 



A part of it, designed for pasture, Avas soAved 

 Avith a mixture of AA'hits and red clover and herds 

 grass seeds. It Avas also dressed about half Avith 

 garden soil, and half Avith ditch mud. This acre 

 and a half has pastured two coavs five months the 

 past season. It Avould have yielded at least four 

 tons of good hay. From the rest of the marsh 

 about thirteen tons of good hay Avere cut, a part 

 of Avhich Avas sold, in the field, for tAvelve dollars 

 a ton. Had the Avholc been kept in meadoAv, and 

 the hay sold, it Avould have come to over two 

 hundred dollars, or one hundred and fifty dollars 

 clear of all expense. 



In the course of the improvement over tAvo 

 hundred cords of muck have been taken from the 

 ditches, a part of Avhich has been sold at a dollar 

 a cord, and the rest used upon the adjacent up- 

 land. It is estimated that this muck has more 

 than paid for all the expense of ditching, and to^''- 

 dressing, and grass seed. The land is now Avor h 

 three hundred dollars an acre, and Avill pay sevt i 

 per cent, on that sum as long as it is taken care c !". 



From this statement it Avill be seen, that there 

 is no more inviting field for improvement than 

 these marshes. The chief expense Avill be in the 

 embankment ; but many of these marshes are s't- 

 uated along the banks of creeks, presenting a nar 

 row border to the sea, so that every rod of dA'kirg 

 Avould protect an acre of land. These marshes do 

 not noAV, as a rule, pay the interest on five dol- 

 lars an acre, and they can be bought from five t ;■> 

 fifty dollars an acre. As soon as they are re- 

 claimed, they Avill pay the interest on from one to 

 two hundred dollars an acre. 



What an immense addition it Avould be to the 

 productive Avealth of NeAV England, if all these 

 marine Avastes Avere reclaimed, and made to do 

 their duty ! Hoav long Avill farmers sufier theili 

 to be idle, and complain that farming does not 

 pay? W. Clift. 



Stonington, Ct., Jan. \2th, 1860. 



In England there is liberty Avithout equality 

 In France there is equality without liberty. 



