179 
ilie Seneca Lak,e, opposite to Geneva. About six years ago I began to 
drain a field containing twenty acres, on my boundary line ; six of which, 
were subjected at that time to drainage, the six acres had seldom given 
a remunerating crop even of grass. After draining the six acres, the 
whole field was plowed and prepared for corn, two acres being reserved 
for potatoes. The usual care was given to the cultivation of the whole 
crop, which, during its growth, showed a marked difference between the 
drained and undrained portions of the field. The yield of this field prove^ 
to be the largest ever raised, as I believe, in the county, the product 
being eighty three bushels and over per acre; when the corn was husked 
and housed, it was weighed and measured in the ear, and allowing seventy 
five pounds to the bushel, for corn and cobs, the product was as above 
stated. This field attracted much attention; it was examined at the time 
■ of draining and after plowing, both the first and second season, permit¬ 
ting the parties to walk on the drained parts, without any undue mois¬ 
ture, while all other undrained land in the neighbourhood was muddy, 
and, as before stated, the corn was found far more vigorous in the plant 
and abundant in the grain. In the following season, after corn I 
cropped it with barley, and found the drained land produced altogether 
the finest plant and the best yield of grain. I next prepared the field and 
cropped it with wheat. The difference again was so striking and distinct 
in favor of the drained land, that I felt the propriety of draining the 
whole field, which was completed without loss of time at a cost of twenty 
two dollars per acre. I then plowed it and sowed with barley, and seeded 
with clover ; of the latter I cut a very large crop last summer, and not 
one square foot of the clover froze out, and now I can rely on a good 
crop of any thing I may sow or plant. I had previously drained several 
other fields, or at least those parts that needed it. Encouraged by a con¬ 
siderable increase of products derived from my former draining, I de¬ 
termined to extend the system as rapidly as convenience and circum¬ 
stances would permit. Upon examination it appeared necessary to possess 
a piece of land belonging to a neighbor, that I might secure a good and 
sure outlet for the water from some of my upland fields that required 
draining. With this view, I purchased 10 60-100 acres of low land satu¬ 
rated with water. On a part of this land, say about four acres, from twelve 
to eighteen inches of the surface was a black vegetable mould, lying on 
a stratum of clay of the same depth, under which I found a hard bottom 
