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have recommended, and by them affording employment to 

 the industrious and unoccupied. 



I have long looked wishfully to the English Fens, 

 and have often shown to gentlemen connected with Lin- 

 coln and Cambridgeshire, and particularly to Earl 

 St. Germ a ins, a rich florin meadow, so low that its 

 surface never rose more than twelve inches above the level 

 of the perpetually stagnant water : no other crop that I 

 am acquainted with could have been advantageously pur- 

 sued on such low ground ; yet my seventh crop is now pro- 

 mising well upon it. I am indeed particularly careful to 

 extirpate nascent aquatics ; but I know too little of the 

 English fens to press the subject. 



I expect that, as often in my own country, the fen or 

 bog passes into a firm soil by a slow gradation, leaving a 

 broad belt of flat moist soil, little elevated above the adja- 

 cent bog or fen, and which, when opened, would show the 

 stagnant water at the bottom of the drains, and probably 

 at a greater distance than the twelve inches I mentioned. 

 The perpetual discharge by these, would prevent the 

 water from over-saturating the soil, and becoming acrid 

 about the roots of the plants ; such description, if it exists, 

 is no doubt covered with a grassy sole, and would of 

 course be well adapted to the preceding measures. The 

 vicinity of the water would, I am confident, prevent the ob- 

 trusion of the agrostis vulgaris, while it would not injure 

 our amphibious stolonifera. 



Deep alluvial bottom occasionally submerged, 

 would be far more productive in this way than in any other. 

 I should hope that upon such grounds the agrostis vulgaris 

 would not obtrude, and occasional submersions would not 

 injure my crop, standing or cut. Very frequent drains 

 indeed will be required to let off the water rapidly, and to 



