Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-05-26
AnrfrmIturaI.


following heads:
DRAINISG AND REcLAIMrNs SwAMps AND
WET LANDS. --There is an extensive neat
meadow on the farm, the greater mart of
which has been reclaimed BY thorough
draining and cultivation. Mr. Phinney saws
that the only way to make these meadows
dry and valuable in productive grasses. is TO
ditch around the margin so as 10 cut of the
springs and receive the water which flows
in continually from the surrounding uplands.
1t is the water flowing in underneath. and
not that falling on the surface. tina, renders
the land cold, wet, and unproductiye. In
order TO effect this, he has a very thorough
ditch around the margin Of the meadow,
which is filled with stones 10 within a foot
or so Of the surface they are then cover.
cd with refuse hay, straw or sods, and the
whole leyeled off with the soil, so that the
pillow may pass over in cultivation. His
meadow is very wide, and therefore he has
another ditch through the centre. connected
with the marginal ones BY cross.ditches.
and through these the water filters among
the stones, and is carried of perfectly.
After this has been done. the wild o,,,..
es and other berbaoe are s.,e,r,;n.,sd H.
Thorough cul,iya,ion n Tho ms.do,y ~.
come, J,v eno,ah d,,;,o ,ha go, ~
plow the turf ia turned osa, =. .moo,hIv
as noss;ble and rolled Iown ha,d H. ~
VINE, ,on.Jr...;nr or oora,-, ~ ~
loan md MANN. hair .nd haIe On - az
Io,J. nor ,.ro !. ..rr;.J =, - ~
.or;n !, = $3.50 WI, a"u !" "e
Ipna " p.n. eo,u, VI sone o'nef
49, - "' ..o"s .ne SUI
ovsr N. Soo-hoa eoI, n "' -. ''oo'y
svsn Mac. Jsv.I W.. ~" s "s ~"
oT ~ a.. ri H. 80 "Ae
- -, ~ -. oo'eneo anu
49, !. a. e.,, '"e NJ a"u na'Io". auu
40, in 70 c,ss1s ~ ~" D.ound ' ,e m''; =
.,ocLsJ down 80 p,as s s s;,S i a"e 'sro
i'm and half hnshaI " h.ad,. 49, " ~
ner 49, are ,ha s",d : go. 1a,, sa's seeu
proce.s comnis,sd ~. so .o" S. ""n ~, .ne
pe,, sr,;nn pei n ~ ."e seq oom,ng up ,he
ara.s w;,hen, .nv n,..;n,. ,,,,;"e, n' io'
sn,r 4. ,n,nsJ 80. y IN, IL ~ a',o1, ,ue
able time du,;n, ,hs snr.r. IT, 70 e.,
Iow;ng male. III smoo,b sad L.. - ~.
c,u /. drs..;no n .ooa., -
!. mn, an an. Ia -, 80 Il. 49,
and roller comnIe,e ,hs nna,,,;oa Is 49, ,S"
ground is loo wei and m;,v 40 ,d,,;, ~.
Team and pIov unon !, in he summe, NJ
Pbinney would advise IN nlov in Inc sn,;ng
when The fros, il our ,bree or fon, ;ncbss
deep. and then cart on the compos, dress.
inc and at the proper time Man, or seed
down. as NAV be most desirable
Instead of this method Of cultivation the
practice has been. and is now pursued by
some. TO cover the meadows two or three
inches thick with sand or gravel. and then
a ton dressing of COMPOST: but Mr. Phiu.
news experience is AGAINST this method Of
cultivation. from the fact that. after a wear
or two. The coarse. wild orasse, are ami IN
work IN through the eoye,ing and en,irelv
supplant the cultivated srasses The whole
/ mus then have another covering or be aban.
doned as worthless. The expense of This
, system is also much Greater than thai pur.
sued by Mr. Phinney.
Considerable difficulty arises in the cult.
walton of this kind of land. from its being
too loose and open. or spongy; and hence
it is considered Of much Importance 10 keen
the inverted sod undi,turbed in the cuItiya.
ton; as by this means more firm and
compact surface is formed. upon which the
team may work without miriup and. The
dressing Of compost also helping TO fiil mn
the pores that may be open on ton. affords
greater facility for the fine roots OF the cul-
tivated grasses to expand more readily, and
fully occupy and cover the ground. In five
or six years the wild grasses NAV begin 10
appear. in which case the land is 40 ain bro.
ken up and managed as before. In this
way heavy crops Of corn and roots and an
immense burden of bay. mas be raised on
these reclaimed meadows.
There is another field on this farm,
should judge Of eight or ten acres, of oblong
shape, tho sides dishing towards the centre,
aud the whole moderately descending length
wise, which he has now in hand for drain
ing. II is naturally a wet, unproductiye,
swaiey soil, resting on an impervious hard.
pan at about two feet below the surface
A marginal ditch, three feet wide and three
deep, is made on each side Of the field
through its whole length, which cuts of the
springs, and receives the wafer flowing in
from the uplands; another parallel with
these runs through the centre of the field,
and the two former are connected with the
latter by cfoss.ditches occnrring ave,y ,yo