There are two broad divisions of beauty of vegetation in tidal lands. (1)that of what I know as salt meadows, the beauty of which is in the complete occupation of nearly level surfaces by a short fine grass — in lawn like breadth [388] and repose. This is our salt hay grass. I don’t know its botanical name — (2) that of taller, graceful waving reeds, rushes and sedges, in which interest may lie much in the variety and contrast of forms and tints

I suppose that the grass of the first class grows only where the ground is nearly of the elevation of ordinary high water — its roots being but occasionally covered. That is to say where I want the broad quiet effect, I had better arrange level surfaces (of rich, salt marsh mud?) which will usually be barely covered by the tide, (for half an hour) once in twelve hours. Of the taller and coarser vegetation I suppose that I may have two classes, one to grow on ground which would not often be reached by the tide but would be moistured by infiltration at the depth of three to six inches every twelve hours, the other on ground most of the time covered by salt water, that is to say near my low water mark (which will be but a foot below high water).

Please tell me if I am wrong and tell me the botanical names of a few plants which I could be most sure of success with — or which would be most likely under operations of nature to predominate, in the three situations, (1) slightly above ordinary high water; (2) slightly below ordinary high water, and (3) near and below ordinary low water.

If I make a bank at an angle of 45° and sod it between high & low water with the ordinary sedge of salt marshes (of salt creek banks) the tide rising and falling over the whole face, will it be likely to live and hold. (This apart from the question of washing away & gullying?)

I have recevd yours of yesterday and thank you for its prompt reply to my inquiries. I did not fully present my general idea, and in doing so partially, with reference to particular points, have a little misled you.

I am now thinking of a basin as extended (above grade 9) as practicable; the shores to vary much in character, sometimes sandy and beach like, [389] sometimes abrupt, sometimes and as much as can be afforded rocky; the bank above also variable, in degree of steepness, and to be, as a rule, overgrown thickly, in a picturesque, natural, completely informal even negligent manner, so that after a few years such slight damages as would occur (with the precautions I have in view) would at worst be inconspicuous. In my inquiry with respect to strictly tidal ground plants I had little reference to the foot of this bank, or to any islands which would bear trees or shrubs.

But I wish to avoid large areas of open water, and also, in order to spread the occasional floods over as much surface as possible and so avoid vertical rise of water to have large flats bearing vegetation which would tend to prevent the formation of waves.

I have large quantities of mud to be dredged and disposed of. I can form flats by making enclosures of solid earth and filling them with mud.

I shall have also large areas of mud and sedge bank already formed, the present surface of which, being several feet above the proposed high water level, must be pared down so that flood water may pass over it.

On these flats I can have a thin layer of any soil I choose and I can allow their surface to vary from a few inches above ordinary high water level to a few inches below ordinary low water level. Thus, as far as practicable, with a rise & fall of but one foot of tide, I can imitate the conditions in which any of the tidal ground plants best flourish. What I chiefly want is to be sure that I can perfectly cover these flats with marshy plants in considerable variety. There are a number of such plants which I know, and which I think could be used by planting sods of them, but upon all these I find myself in doubt as to the most suitable elevation having regard to a tide of one foot. I suppose that the “black grass” wants to be a little above ordinary high water. What I know as sedge (probably different species) grows both above and below this — in sand and in crevices of rocks. Whether it is soil or period of submergence that determines the position I don’t know.

There are many plants with which I have a general familiarity, as making pretty effects on the edges of tidal brackish water, which I fear might not grow where the water is as salt as it will be in the Backbay.

But in general I infer from your letter that without raising the surface of the flats more than a few inches above ordinary high water level I can have a large variety, including in the uppermost possibly certain Solidagos, asters [390] and bullrushes and lower the two or three plants which chiefly cover the marshes between Cambridge and Brighton.