PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 379 



sun; they will do well under the shade of large trees where the over-hang- 

 ing- limbs are high enough to give two hours' sun night and morning, and 

 little or none iu the middle of the day. The best shade to erect is a scaf- 

 fold laid of brush high enough to admit the sun morning and night a couple 

 of hours, and dense enough to admit little or no sun through it the rest of 

 the day — try it and see. 



Mr. Robert Willis, an Iowa farmer writes that " in this part of Iowa 

 we have a native gooseberry, which never fails to bear good, healthy fruit. 

 The berry is smooth like the currant;' is fit for use in early summer. Now, 

 if you, or any other member of this Club, think it worth while, to say that 

 you desire a few roots of our native gooseberry, and will give directions 

 for putting up, I will forward them gratuitously." 



This friend is informed that several members of the Club would gladly 

 try this variety. He will see by the above directions for sending tilings 

 by mail, that he can forward a package of half a dozen small plants for a 

 mere trifle. Direct to the Secretary of the Farmers' Club, American Insti- 

 tute, New York. 



Dr. Trimble. — I can only say of this Rhode Island man, who succeeds in 

 growing gooseberries in the shade, that he is a lucky one. I have known 

 a great many attempts to grow the English gooseberry in shady situations, 

 which have failed, and in all of my acquaintance I know of but one garden 

 where they succeed, and there, just as well iu the sun as shade. I believe 

 we shall have to stick to the American sorts. I saw a kind last summer 

 at Dr. Underhill's which originated with the Shakers, growing perfectly 

 healthy upon large bushes, and the fruit, though not as good as some of 

 the foreign varieties, is much more worthy the attention of cultivators. 

 The only safe method to prevent mildew, is to plant the native American 

 varieties. 



Mr. Geo. Bartlett said he did not believe it was necessary to shade goose- 

 berries, to grow them well in Rhode Island, for he had grown several sorts 

 there in open ground, which Englishmen said were as good as those grown 

 in their own country. 



Reclaiming Marsh Lands. 



Mr. James Walker writes from Orono, Iowa: "In answer to 

 the owner of marsh lands in Michigan, as to what he should do 

 with such land to reclaim it, I can inform him how the same kind of land 

 was reclaimed in Scotland. After it was ploughed, and the sod partly 

 rotted, clay was hauled, and the surface covered one or two inches deep 

 with it, then dragged and oats sowed on it and dragged in, and clover 

 was sowed and the land rolled, there was very little difficulty in getting 

 tame grass to grow on such soil there, but the clay made it firmer, and 

 kept it from drying out. The greatest difficulty in farming deep marshes 

 (called peatmosses or moors), was the softness of the soil, making it hard 

 for a team to walk on it without miring, in wet weather. As to the cost of 

 hauling clay it will depend on the distance, whether it will pay.'' 



And that we conceive, will be the grand difficulty with all the Michigan 

 farmers. It will not pay to reclaim the marshes by hauling clay upon 

 them, where land is so cheap a« it is in that State. Upon Cape Cod it has 



