The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-08-28
RECLAlMlNG MEADOWS.
Worthless Land That Can Be Easily Made
Very Valuable. -----..

Worthless Land That Can Be Easily Made
Very Valuable.
The haying season being nearly or
quite over the farmer will have time TO
think of other things, and one of the
most important of these. other things,
If he has any low land, meadow, swamp
or whatever it may be called, that has
not been improved, will be to set about
improving the same. 1t is fact that
there are thousands of acres of the very
best land certainly in New England
that now produce very little of value,
which, if improved, would be the most
valuable land that could be found. We
know whereof we speak. We could
give instance after instance where such
lands that were regarded as of little
value have been reclaimed and have be-
come quite valuable. t
Many meadows, or swamps, that
were formerly very wet have, in the
process of time, been quite changed,
and are no longer too wet to be cult
waited. We have in mind land where
formerly all the meadow hay that grew
upon it had to be poled off, which now
produces good English hay, and one
may pillow the land with horses and
haul off the hay as from any other field.
We know lands that to-day are consid-
cred worth one thousand dollars per
acre to grow celery on, which but few
years ago were covered with a growth
OF swamp maple and worth only the
price of wood land.
1t may be said that it is expensive to
reclaim such lands; and it is true that
it costs something, but most of the ex-
pense is in the nature of permanent
Improvement We could give many in
stances that have fallen under our own
observation to show that money so in
vested will prove profitable. A neigh
Dor told lis within a week that some
years ago he hired man, at a low rate,
in winter to cart sand and gravel on to
a meadow of some five acres in extent,
connected with his farm. Only a por-
ton OF the meadow was so covered, but
from that part he has continued to cut a
good quality of hay, and he assured me
that the outlay had been as good as
money invested at twelve per cent.
interest.
This work should be done on some
system, and in order to get the best re-
suits from the outlay the meadow must
be properly drained, either by open or
covered bitches or tile. Some prefer
one way, some the other. Some use
stone for this purpose where they have
plenty. After providing for the drain
age the land should receive dressing
of sand or gravel If it is not con-
venient to put this on at this season of
the year, arrange to do it early next
winter. Of course, all rubbish should
be cleared of, bushes, stumps, etc. If
the land be clear and dry enough, it
will be better to pillow it, but in some
cases it may have to be grubbed over
with suitable hoes. If the rubbish is
burned, care must be taken to prevent
the fire from getting into the peat-ifi it
be peat soil for often much dam age
is done in this way.
Some prefer to put in crop of pota-
toes the first year after the land is
broken up, and it is good crop to pre-
pare the land for seeding. When the
land is in suitable condition to sow to
grass it will be better to give it good
dressing of some special fertilizer, to
start the young grass. Sow such lands
to timothy and red top, and expect a
large first and second crop each year
for four or five years If one can use
the land so reclaimed for celery, onions,
horse-radish or other crop that prefers
moist soil, and can find ready mar
ket for such products, then it will pay
even . better income than if kept in
grass. It viii become necessary to nlow
the land once in four or FIVE years, even
it it be devoted to grass. In such case
turn the sward under, and apply dress
ing, and SOW to grass again Good
crops will be the result of such manage
ment In years of drought such lands
can be relied upon to give crop; in fact,
they will always give a good crop if
rightly managed.
We do most strongly urge our farmer
friends who have meadows or low lands,
now producing little or nothing, to i'm
prove the coming two or three months,
when the water is low, to work upon
such lands. and bring them into condi-
ton so that they will henceforth be
ource OF considerable profit. - Congre-
gatianGlist.