Year: 1877

1uX OF questions IN regard 10 II, which
shows that it takes hold upon the minds
of progressive farmers. One correspon-
dent asks if there is any way to ascertain
whether land along the river between two
mills can be drained without injury to the
lower mill, excepting by employing the ex-
pensive services of m engineer. In some
cases IL would be difficult to decide except
ing by careful survey, but If the stoppage
of the lower mill and allowing the pond to
fill to its highest mark does not flow your
meadow, the dam is no damage to you. II
1t is flooded by rains, or by an unusual flow
of water from the mill above, the obstruc-
tions are in the stream above the dam.
would not advise any one unused 10 such
work to try to go on with 1t without hav-
ing thorough survey, as little knowledge
of where to work may save much unprof-
table labor. would not venture to de-
eide how long it might be before you might
expect profitable crops from drained fresh
water marsh. We have but little data to
judge from, and l have not experience
enough to know or guess. When the land
is drained, and freed by sun and frost from
the unwholesomeness which develops un-
der stagnsnt water, and which the old grass
sods are destroyed go that other and better
vegetation can take root. This may be in
two years, or it may not be in ten, for aught
] know. 1t would probably vary in differ
ent soils or under different treatments.
Other questions which are asked, and some
which are not but might be, l can best
answer by quoting from another letter from
g. II:


"Never before was there better time to
preach the homely gospel Of work and of
agriculture than just now. Ii did seem a
few years ago as though all creation had
gone mad upon the suject of house lots and
of speculation, and as though all Masea-
chusetts, sea shore, hill side and intervale,
was going to cut up into G0xl00 feet
patches. No one was going to produce,
and all hands were about 10 live On-whai?
That was not thought of, the only thought
(if such a word is proper to use in regard
TO a time OF mani0) beng as 10 who should
get his lots and plans of villages first be-
fore tho public and realize. l suppose we
have got about over that scrt of thing, and
this may be the proper time for projects of
public utility and fer increasing the pro-
duc,ion of food and other homely raw pro-
ducts 1t is true, as you put it, that the
reclamation of the fresh water meadows in
this or any other state is q beneficial, and,
when rightly done, a highly remunerative
undertaking. / estimate that of the total
area of Massachusetts about two and one
half to three per cent. ia sal. marsh; my
judgment would be that the fresh water
marsh is about five or six per cent. of the
same area, of which about one-half is
doomed to remain wet marsh; has been con-
demned and fowage damages paid therefor
by the mill interests of the state.


OF the two interests, fresh and salt water
marshee, neither is necessarily or plainly
larger than the other. Both will be limited
By the amount of fall they can command to
drain the water off. They will require care
full examination in each case, lest the work
done upon them will prove of no avail, and
they will require careful improvement and
culture after they are drained. Msssachu-
sets has such long strip of sea coast that
in my judgment she has about as much re-
deemable marsh of the one kind as the
other.


q differ in opinion, but we will not
quarrel about few thousand acres, more
or less.)


"In these projects for draining large tracts
of land an inch OF water, more or less, is
often of the greatest importance, and it Is
essential that it be clearly known at the
outset just how much the proposed works
are gong TO accomplish. A neglect to clear.
ly understand this has frequently resulted
in disappointment and waste of The money
expended. A test question is this After
the work is done how deep hole will it be
possible to dig in the meadow before reach
ing waterr If the depth is one foot or one
and one half feet the year round, or when
desired, very fair grasses can be raised on
such land it 1t is two and one. half feet the
In Mill do for nroin anH IL fonr 60
more fruit trees will thrive"


He speaks of the difficulty in this state
being mt inly one of organization gives the
statutes referring to 1t, one Of which dates
back to the first year of the reign of Queen
Anne, 1902, and of their defects and
goes on:


''The mode of proceeding in this state
seems to be as follows: The proprietors of
land to be reclaimed should organize under
chapter sixtY-seyen of the general statutes.
The corporate body 80 organized can then
take such action as each specific case needs.
Some may want special legislation; all are
likely 10 need competent engineering ad-
vice; some may prefer to do the work of
the draining themselves; others may choose
to have it done by commissioners, under
chapter 143."


He speaks further of the improvement in
the salt marsh to which he referred in the
previous letter, and sets aside my fears of
danger from an accumulation of sand in the
channel outside the dyke, by the fact that
there has been little or no change there for
three years past


"My letter to you related mainly to the
$4,000 acres of salt marsh that are still un-
reclaimed and idle; to these you have ad-
ded as many more, at least, of fresh water
marsh let the work of reclalming these go
on let it be done right, and wherever ac-
complished 1t will be great public and pri-
vate improvement. 1t surely needs no fur
ther Christening to convince our people that
an increase of production, not mere spec
ulation upon each other, is the way to ere
ate wealth in this community. And in
creased agricultural production simply
means to this Commonwealth to get some
of it's food for nothing, and to save up a
portion at least of the broad bills sent here
by the Western States and Provinces,
which amount to several millions annu-
ally"


Having an opportunity to call upon sc.
H." availed myself to obtain from him
and other parties who were interested in
this project further information in regard
10 IL, for, although felt an interest in It
when first agitated in the fifteen hundred
acres of which he spoke, had not kept
myself well posted in regard to what had
been done there.


was pleased to learn that the owners
are beginning 10 awaken to knowledge of
the necessity of proceeding farther with
their work In draining in order to make a
benefit of the dyking. When they first be-
gan to talk of the dyke | warned those in
terested In 1t that If they accomplish this
draining, and this they could do by ditch
ing after dyking. This ditcning many have
begun to do within the last two years since
last saw the marshes, being encouraged
thereto by the results which were obtained