Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-06-06
From The Boston Cultiyator.
RECLAIMING WET LAND.

Messrs. Editors Through the columns of vour
paper, you may if you deem it of utility to your
readers, give them some of my expermets on pIow-
ing and retaining wet meadows Some wears q.
go came into possession of considerably poor
meadow in comparison with my upland and found
1t necessary to commence retaining. The mud
was from to feet deep, and could not go on it
with oxen IN consequence. After the water was
drained . feet below the surface by ditching, the
process Of graveling thought would be expensive,
and turing made my back ACHE and the boys COM
PLAIN.
Therefore l concluded must plow it, but find
ing that our common pillow would in no wise do, I
got one made on purpose to take furrow lS or 20
inches wlde made light, with cutters and gauge,
different from any pillow ever saw and attached
rope Ia rods long, that the oxen might stand round
on the hard land; then myself one man, two boys
an four oxen commenced operation the urrow
turned admirably fat one into the other from, to
~ inches deep, and left several inches of mud COM
petcly on the sod
This was in August 1s43, and we soon found we
could turn over one half to three quarters of
ere per day, with the hindrance of carrying the pillow
back IA rods every furrow. In 1874, commenced
plowlng, with the oxen travelling at right angle
from the way the burrows went, owing to a steep
NIL aud wall on the shore, which prevented
their going out aight. This was done By two
sticks of timber put together in form of r, with
plank taken out Of the largest part near the whole
length for pulley to run in. The puly to be nov
ed 20 inches every furrow, and the whole frame
fastened to the ground.
The long part of my r was very near twenty five
ieet long, which enabled me to pillow about Is fur
rows at once, fastening the T. in which ran the pull
ley Tor the rope to run round and strange it did
look to see the team going South, and the plow go.
ing West, with great furrow rolling over, which
IN some places in that meadow did not get fairly
into It's place, until ten feet behind the plow owing
to the sod being so tough. Some part of that plow-
ed IN 1913 was sowed down to grass that fall after
plowlng without any manure, and the crop of hay
was more and Of better quality than when it was
In meadow grass but on what MANFRED at the
rate of about cords to the acre of good compost,
the crop was about 3 tons to the acre of Timothy.
have now, March 1916, some acres plowed
last fall the manure carried on in heaps this win
ter, which intend to plant with potatoes and
think from the apparent meowness that the shovel
Tor putting manure in the hill, and hoe will be
all the tools necessary in cutiyating The land.
NY intentions are now to pursue this course of
recaimlng my meadows for find it the best land
have if others take the hin. and wish for inform
alton, or to see my implements, they will please
call on the subscriber whom the Editor may doubt
less consider more familiar with the pillow than the
pen. LUKE WHITCOMB
Bolton March 1s45.
Editorial Remarks The novel aad ingenious
mode in which our correspondent saved labor, and
was enabled to do his work Sin grand STYLE" is
worthy of consideration, 1t is thus that ingenious
ness, by little head work, saves much manual la
Dor. There is scarcely an operation on the farm
that may not be performed at reduced expense,
by having good head to direct affairs; yet too
many go orin their old style and hardly dream of
improvement