Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-12-25
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
Proceedings Of the Agricultural, Society Of
Aibemarle.


Aibemarle.
Papers communicated for publication by the
Corresponding Committee.
Mol. ON DRAINING Tread Oct. ~, 1881
RIDGEwAY, SEPT. 26, 1878.
DEAR SIR :--Fsnr years ago / made q small
essay IN draining after q manner different from IL
ny had erer heard Of, or seen prQctised the If.
Jeaey Of rhich determined me to repeat the erpe-
entirely satisfied cith The in both cases, that
j am induced to communicate the mode 10 you for
The Information Of oar society.
moy6e remarked, that lands rhish require 10
Dc Drained are Arrays rich, and ,rhen thoroughly
reclaimed By this process are the most productive
" any Ue haze. The operation is one too Of conSi
derdbte tdbour and erpenSe and rhere open ditch
es are relied on, this id6Oar and erpense becomes in
measure annual from the necessity Of clearing
out rith The spade, y trimming the banks of reeds,
bushes, briGrs, &c. Hence the superior advantages
Of secret or corersd bitches wii be at perceic-
ed. by ichich not only all this annual labour, but
considerable portion of The best land, occupied by
the ditch, the bank, and the turning lands are sur
ed. The land lost TO cultivation by an open ditch
Uith its hank andthe necessary width for turning
plough on each side Of it, is not less than Is 20
feet 'chtch an many cases is the erient of surface
to De reclaimed to sag nothing of the loss of time
incurred by frequent and short tmnings of the
plough.
These considerations governed me in the first
experiment made, the subject Of rkich had been
an open ditch for many years running thro' piece
Of fiat land, The distance of 800 yards, and convey
ing the irater Of bold and constant spring from
the foot Of u hill TO rirer. TIE erpense OF clean
ing out tcifh tie spade, and trimming the banks a.
bridrs &C. (irfich before this formed cdnSideyu-
Ole item an the account Of disdgreeabie and unhedf-
thy la6onr) had been incurred for several years.
5es'des the Toss Of nearly half acre Of The best
land.
Idetermiaedto sdre thiSerpense, and regain the
'dad 10 euHirdttoh by ceHreying the rater s,o6ter
rdneously. For this purpose Iopened ne,p ditch
from the rrer to the head spring, t,co feel tcide
and ttco feet deep, the sides Of ,chich uers cut
down PeTpendieui4rtg, INSTEAD Of giring them the
aetiy an the middle of it, cut a channel 6 inches
,oide and e inches deep, into uhich all the ,catfr
Immediately collected. Il common grubbing hoe
icdS the instrument used in doing this, but think
a more c0nceni6M tool, something like a SPADE OF
fhe proper ridth, cOu!d be made in any blGcksmiths
shop Thiy channel should be made, horereI, ia,-
ger or smaller according TO the size Of the stream
to be conducted, aIiocinS for the increase of ra-
ter in tret seasons, cih gradual ana regular fall
Stones, Uhich uere near at hand, uere then ob-
tanned, lrRh at teust one fiat surface, ana laid
side by side across this channel resting upon its
tco Ganks at the 6ottom Of the ditch. The stones
TOR the first should be SO long as to bear at
least inches on each bank If they are rough
and do not come tcpU together, other stones MAY
be carefully laid the top to coper The oper-
sngs, and u conrententH uiH be advantageous to
nn the ~hofe dutch uffh stone to a point SOmerhat
betoc the depth Of pIOnghins that may be conte.
plated IheTork Wqs begun at theupper end d pro-
ceeded dornlpards that the channei might be clear
ed o. any obstruction that might JaH into IL. The
rhate tcas then cOrered thckiy ,cth strap and the
earth returned. RdmDping as unnecessary, as the
earth WiH quickly settle to proper .frnmfSs.
PiOughing and Other operations of husban,lry
haze since been Carried on orer this ditch as If
none ertsted and the purpose of draining the land
has been conpIedtiy dnsWered. 4 much freyueRtei
roud passes orer one part Of at. 1T has no,U stood
thetes Of y.dIs, Under an annual CROP in arhjch
time the chote has BEEN frice oUerfOwed byth rra
ter from the rirer for u hours at a time and no
part Of the rent at all injured or ObstTscked +
consider the uo. Il therefore as done 6orerer, and
the expense c0ncPire to be greatly less than anu
Other mode Of secref draining. found that the
same hands coma place tie stone and return the
earth in less than half the time they spent in cut
ting The ditch.
In the northern states 'chere the practice of
draining rifh stone as conlnon. the method as to
set mp OAe course Of stone perpendiculary against
one side Of the ditch. and another course leaning
against at, forming ga angle " about 45 degrees
But this as certainly not only more ttdiouS but
requires double portion OF stone, and that too of
particular size amt shape IL make The chuRnei uni
turn and sufficient ATdtOr, distinguished ,cri-
| trT on agriculture and one o. TIE FIRST practical
farmers Of ON state, recommends deep and cide
dHch TO be hef tcith brush cOrerCd lCuh Stralr or
leGceS. and the euTth to BE- returad and rammed.
But net 10 mention the great iaboW and expense Of
th's process IL as certain that this tc0rk must II,
time decay, and the mode should only be resorfed
to, ,cheTe stone cdHuot be procured In our hiify
country stone IS generally abundant in many places
SO much so, as greatly 10 impede the operations nj
theta'mer. By ccHr,rting 10 the use hare
M nt'oHed. ne acOHid fn0 his hills freed from rpat
Nuisance, and his et lands reclaimed TO cultivation
! by the same operation.
HIN great respect, yours,
p. MINOR.
of the Agricultural Society, Albewarle.
PHILADELPHIA December l3.-U. S.
10