90 



agricultural purposes ; and when this material is to be 

 carried to any, even small distance, the portage over deep 

 wet bog becomes intolerably expensive. Hence it soon 

 appears, that contiguity of the consolidating material is of 

 more importance than its quality. 



The formidable extent of most of these bogs, and the 

 load of water they are always incumbered with, and which 

 previous to operations for reclaiming them must be dis- 

 charged, has given rise to an opinion, that the work is too 

 great to be encountered by individuals, — that the force of 

 the nation^ or at least of the great proprietor , must be 

 called into action, to execute these general operations, 

 before the field will be ready for the diminutive exertions of 

 the individuals who are to encounter their smaller portions. 



This opinion is founded in error; I have shown more at 

 large, that the work cannot be facilitated by any previous 

 operations ; that there is but one description of persons, by 

 whom the business of reclaiming our bogs, great or small, 

 can be undertaken, that is, the actual holder of the con- 

 tiguous farm, I mean the land continuous with the bog. 



This personage must level and scarify the surface of the 

 bog he advances into with small drains ; and he must carry 

 into it the consolidating material from the nearest place be 

 can find it in. Can the industrious and unoccupied poor 

 be called in to assist in these diminutive operations, their 

 emploj ment will be abundant; for small as each portion 

 may be in itself, the number of the whole is infinite. 



This I am confident is the only mode in which the re- 

 claiming our great bogs can be encountered with any pro- 

 spect of advancing upon them with success. Shall PARr 

 LIAMENT or the great proprietors contrive to aid the 

 adjoining landholders, by ^assisting them in paying for the 



