New-York tribune., 1877-11-10
fE-sEcRErARr cAAADLAns E4RM


Fr.la me L.a.,ag E.Dubicu.
In 1867 was induced To- buv piece of land over
here OF about 500 acres. A year or two afterwar
bought some NOR, land, including the place where
we now stand, making iu an 1.4O0 acres In 1869
] took my flmlly and went to Europe. ! spent the
Summer there, aud among other countries visited
Holland. went ont 10 Hlarlem Lake, and saw tine
magnificent reclaimed lands. They were grazing
immense herds OF cattle for the English
market. The grass was most Iuyuuant md
they were pumping water by machinery to
height Of nineteen feet, IN order 10 bring
IL on the level of the ocean. Most of tins
pumping was done los wind. IN case Of n great
storm. they had an enormous machine of several
tluu-aud horsepower eacu stroke moving eleven
pumps, whIc'l throw out m enormous volume of
water. THESE marsh lands looked precisely Ike Our
Mi .lieln marshes. / examined the soil thoroughly
not chemical examination, hut took IL 10 my
hand. and believed it TO- Hr dentieaiiy similar 10
out marsh soil. inquired the value of these lands
where they were caZ'ug the cattle for thr English
mai atts. and iOUio thar they sold readily for 500
u.r acre Choice location would bring more. uut
the lowest were $500 per acre. ! SAID. N these 1l1s
where they pUmp water mp nineteen feet to GET rd
OF no. are worth 300 per acre. cerlaUlr land where
water run. down hill must be- worth so per acre,
end wrote t0 ny ag-' z" biy ali
tie land adjacent to me. And he Went on
ard bought about all there was for sale.
the next thing to he done was 10 drain these UIts.
/ dug ditcbr~-i doWt know now many. at icast
thirty or forty miles oi citcl-and built some thirty
or forty milo. OF fence. M lateral bitches -Ho
aid 'Ilf fcct deep and sIN feet wide ft the .op.
They took off the water very ei-ctual{ aJ trs., bul
after while ile aIicLcs seemed tI He hi'U- up, lud
row they hardly show. n my iudcuen thls comes
from the setting ot the ground. 10 ls my OpiHoh
that rhs whole marsh has settled "a ielst lWo leet
since FIRST began work. The first ytdc after you
dig vOUr ditcdrs here wl be o very EpaT-. grow Oh
Of vIrr-oras>, not more than bai acIop, and n"th-
ING else take, its place. Inc second Noi' tht re-
grass Is gone ami q 4ulaii brake comes mp. Every
man who passes by VIII laugh 30 you
and say " + have tried that before dud they
viii talk about the folly * doing anything
with marsh land. Aud q does look dlsconracng.
have seen hundreds of acres lu tins condition jiat
dd uot look os If it was worth ten ccLts per acre.
But I held N. crit The third year there comes mp
che most magnificent growth ot weeds you ever saw
Ilo,oug ughwoIt, bUa thistle, and large yellow Weed
grows Iu great Insurance. whenever Won See thor-
0ughWurt grow. then the sOiI really ipr tame grass
Heretofore people have stopped lt the very pon
Of success. IN our tOrpuOou.s w1lh ! think we did
NOT pass over Iurty rods that dld not contain some
tame g.ass. Now we have ahouJ 100 acres OF .;'1ae
grass. and next year we expect 10 cpt from 500 20
600 acres And 10 is the nesi kind Of flne grass 70
Is my opinion Jiat tO raise wheat upon tir-e 't-i's
We shall he comupIied ta give them n dressing ot
lime and PERHAPS sand. WITH This u'Njurr' nave
an absolute certain knowledge OF what tue-e iailus
these lands will produce the largest wheat Cf any
land on earth. / have given You briefly
my own experiences. No" WI ,'.
Won what / propose Ia do next t'uhI Il
grass known a., fuwi-meadow On the reclaimed tioi-
land lands The seed supposed go nave o"eh
carried thrre bv the birds but It Is y opinion tAa5
hav from this f0wl-meadOw = fully up 70 rel-t9p
and herds gr;tss. | found where TO- ~efu c"uld oe
bought Boston. ana ] sent lLclf LOl
lTbev vrore me thal there were not - bushels of
tins zrass seed 10 America, bat would wait unit
na,, ,-.,sr fhsv would yet 10 for me. waited until
next wear and GOT that quantity. | sowed II. think
two years Yco. Last year we cut - tons oi ioNi-
meadow on u acres by some inspiration A!I- lI9"-
hriJra rr0 In. whole II tons of hay through a
tIr .ber We have here iu the barn. aud We got seed
enough to sow 900 acres. W e. first prepared the lana
by narrowing it with sharp-toothed drag ara men ~
mt an "a heavy iron roller Then We took the chan
Of this foyl-meadow and sOwed 1t broadcast over
the land As | said N the beginning. We expect 10
cut omc,v mere from 100 500 acres OF tins tame
or.ss next wear Some Of this land Is about ready
10 raise corn and I am going t0 test lt IA 4 small
yav I shall also try oats aud have also received
which propose 10 try upcub both upland and marsh