perfect peat; it is of a reddish colour when dried, is light and affords very little heat. It is the material for making peat, and whenever the air shall have penetrated it for a sufficient length of time, as it may possibly do by means of the fibres, it will become good peat. An inquiry may here arise, whether the whole of this meadow is not now in a progress to the more perfect formation of peat, both in quantity and quality? The meadows of Charles river, we have seen, were covered much of the time with water, before the settlement of the town. This must have prevented the formation of peat. The peat in England and Ireland is much deeper, than that on Charles river meadows. The peat in some places on Neponset meadows is eight or ten feet deep. Those meadows are likewise much drier than those of Charles river. The fowl meadow grass began to grow in that meadow about the year 1700. There are only a few places dry enough on the meadows of Charles river to produce that crop, although during several of the last dry summers, it has sprung up in several places where it never was before observed.

Such is the situation of the peat meadows at present. I have not observed any fact which seems to support the hypothesis of Dr. Cutler, who has inquired whether the fibres observed in peat, are not evidence of a vegetable organization of a moss sui generis? The new properties which meadow mud acquires, namely, that of being inflammable and fibrous in the process of decomposition, and new combination differs not materially from the changes under the controul of a chemist, excepting in the length of time required to produce them. About ten years ago it was first mentioned as a discovery, that near this village there was abundance of peat. Since that time a small quantity has been dug every season.

It may be worthy of notice, that such a variety of native forest trees should grow on a tract of land so limited as that of Dedham. Of the oak, are found seven varieties, from the shrub oak to the stately white oak, of the walnut, three varieties, white and yellow pine, hemlock, red cedar, and white cedar, white beech, white maple, white and yellow birch, butternut, wild cherry, button wood, hornbeam, poplar, ash, elm, two varieties. The locust, the lime tree, the balsam and the fir balsam, the mountain ash,

flourish in our soil. The white oak is the favourite of the soil, that white oak which yields such a strong heavy and durable material for the works of the wheelwright and shipbuilder, and which furnishes such excellent fuel. There are only a few solitary oaks which may now claim to be cotemporaries with the pilgrims, but all our forest are of modern growth. The white oaks, on particular pieces of land, have been all cut off in several successive generations. When one crop is cut off, another immediately succeeds. The young trees start up with a rapid growth, come to maturity in twenty-five or thirty years, when it is good policy to cut them all off again. How many times, in any given spot, the trees may have been thus cut in successive periods, is not certainly known, probably five or six times. Now these last generation of trees are inferior to the primitive stocks, both in size and in usefulness, although equally good for fuel. The tree which originates from a stump, has necessarily imperfect roots. It may have a few young and healthy roots, but these are few in proportion to the rapidly growing stocks above ground, which receive the greatest part of their nourishment from the old roots. The old roots will decay from age, or from the want of a proper circulation of sap, caused by the cutting off the trunk. We need not assign a cause, since the effect is well known. The experience of every farmer teaches him that the forest trees which spring from stumps come to a premature old age. Not so with trees which spring from acorns or from a spontaneous origin. Their roots are young and healthy and extend in every direction, when the tree is large its roots are proportionably so. Does not this short history of the oak, show that an important era has arrived in regard to their use and cultivation? We have no forest laws nor hereditary lords to protect our most valuable oak forests. I see nothing but enlightened self interest, which will protect them from an indiscriminate destruction. If this does not influence the intelligent owner of the soil, the voice of patriotism, the spirit of poetry will in vain invoke him; they will in vain inform him that he who plants or nourishes an oak forest for the future navy, rears a better monument of his usefulness than most of those who write books, or flourish with a little brief authority in public employments.

There are some places where there has been a succes

sion of different kind of trees, yellow and white pines have succeeded a forest of oak, and oaks again have succeede pine trees.

The soil of Dedham, particularly that of the village piain, nourishes almost every kind of fruit trees and shrubs, which will grow in New England. The pear trees of an hundred varieties transplanted into the gardens from the north of France and the nurseries of Long Island, thrive well. In the garden of Mr. Samuel Richards, where is the greatest variety of fruit trees, and where too may be learned the greatest variety of experiments on transplanting, no decisive evidence is yet afforded of the utility of trees of foreign nurseries, over those in our own immediate neighbourhood, excepting that of their cost.

Experiments in agriculture worthy of notice are few. During the late war attempts were made in Massachusetts to cultivate wheat. It was suggested that a new species of spring wheat brought from Londonderry, N. H., would succeed on the lands near the sea board. It appears that many successful experiments were made, and were fully reported and recorded in the journals of the day. If these reports alone are consulted, they will lead to the conclusion, that blast on wheat is to be attributed to the seed, rather than to the climate. But one thing is certain, wheat crops are now no where heard of on the sea coast. The unsuccessful experiments I believe were not reported. In 1813 and 1814, experiments were made in this town, and both were most decisive. The straw was sufficiently large to have yielded thirty bushels by the acre, yet it was so much blasted that it was scarcely worth reaping.

In Dedham are some swamps and low lands, which were formerly esteemed of little value, the water being so frequently on them, permitted nothing but a coarse meadow grass almost worthless grow thereon. When several patches of these lands were broken up about ten years ago and planted with potatoes, and afterwards laid down and sowed with herds grass, I well recollect the frequent remark I heard made of them, that these spots of land would soon go back again, and produce nothing but their former crop of coarse grass. Ten years of experience have now shown that lands of this kind,when properly cultivated, are the most valuable mowing lands in town.

Gypsum has been used in various ways, but I have never heard of a single case where it was done with success.

Suggested improvements.-The following subjects are suggested, not with the intention of asserting, that all or any of them should draw forth immediate exertions, or that it is determined upon due deliberation, that real improvements can be effected in the way proposed. They are intended only as proper subjects of inquiry. The success of those splendid works in other states, which facilitate intercourse, has excited a strong desire, that the people of this commonwealth should engage in similar and great plans. If providence has afforded this people any great occasion, or opportunity for such great enterprizes, as that of making rail-ways or canals over the western mountains, they will be undertaken; but in the mean time the people of this town, and in this part of the State, should not forget, that very near to them, they have a canal somewhat broader and longer than that of New-York, to wit, the Atlantic ocean; and that therefore the public spirit and energies of the community can only be directed to the more humble, yet laudable exertions, of rendering more perfect our civil and literary institutions; and particularly the roads, the villages and the manufactories. With intentions thus explained, it may not be improper to inquire, whether the following objects should not in due time engage attention.

A house of correction for the county of Norfolk, combining all the advantages of an institution of this kind. The county buildings of this kind at present, are deficient, on which account convicts have been sent to the house of correction in Worcester.

A poor house, and farm of suitable extent for the town of Dedham, affording sufficient room to employ, as well as support the poor. The town have now only a small poor house, but no land on which the idle, the improvident and vicious can be coerced to labour.

A town house built with stones of a different order of architecture from the Court House, to form a contrast with it, the lower story to have fire proof offices for a bank, for the insurance office, and the town offices.

A new Episcopal church.

A good social library.

The introduction of some new business suitable for females whose health and habits will not permit them to labour in the great factories, and which may serve as a substitute of the now abandoned art of brading straw hats.

In husbandry, the following subjects, not within the jurisdiction of the agricultural society, may be proposed. Bringing to a more perfect cultivation that portion of meadow land near upland and swamps, which by being mixed with gravel and loam will produce great crops of fowl meadow or herds grass, and bear drought better than upland or peat meadow.

An experiment to be made in burning, or torryfying a portion of that clay bed between east street and the village, for the purpose of manure. Which is a mode of enriching land in some parts of England and Ireland highly beneficial.

An attempt to ascertain with certainty, whether there is not a bed of Marle a little north of Wigwam Pond, of which there are strong indications.

Lining the roads more frequently with trees of oak, elm, or of any other kind of tree, excepting that ill looking, short lived sappy exotic, the Lombardy poplar.

Holding in great esteem every thrifty young oak tree which springs up under such circumstances, as shows it may be used in building the future navy.

Planting a suitable number of trees around the meeting house in the third parish. That spot is on the top of a hill, and the house of public worship there, looks too naked, especially as it is high in proportion to its dimensions in other respects.

A handsome open common in the village east of the new court house, ornamented with trees, and protected from all nuisances. This will conduce to health and to ornament, and will afford the passing stranger a view of an elegant court house, the new meeting house, and the dwelling house of judge Haven and Mrs. Ames. But above all, it will prevent the reproach which a different use of that land now unoccupied would occasion. May no buildings or shops be erected on that ground, which shall give just occasion to the classic and travelled stranger to say; behold here the same profanation as at Rome; when the tents of pedlars and the stalls of Buffaloes stood within the Colliseum.

Local Customs.-Among the sports of Dedham is the common one of shooting at a dead turkey, or a dead goose. This sport is not inhuman, and yet it answers the object in