The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-02-18
TENE FAIR YK H. Rs.
MR.. WEBSTER'S AGRICULTURAL
SPEECH.
re O n C ! u d e al


was that of the draining of lands. The dra in.
ing to which he particularly alluded was what
is called tile draning. Much Of EngIand, as he
had stated, was based upon clayey and reten
tive suh.soil. Weness is prejudicial and de.
s,ructive to the crop. Marginal drains or drains
on the outside of the fields, do not always pro-
.lluce the desired results. These Tile drains have
effected most important improvements. The
tile itself is made OF clay, baked like bricks
bout one foot IN length, four inches in width,
three fourths of an inch in thickness, and stands
from six to eight nrhes In height, being hens.
pherical. or like the half of cylinder with its
sides elongated. 1t resembles the Dutch tiles
sometimes seen on the roofs of the old houses
in Albany and New York. A ditch Is sunk
eighteen or twenty inches in depth, aud these
drains are multiplied over field at distance of
seven yards apart, and vast estates have been
drained in this way. The ditch being sunk and
the bottom made smooth, these tiles laid
down with the hollow side on the bottom, the
ends placed near each other, g. some straw put
over.th joints to prevent the admission of dirt
These are not SO expensive Il mode Of draining
ms might be supposed but important and
useful ARE they considered, that even large
pense is soon met by the imuediate benefits re-
sultng from Them. Ii has added every where
at least twenty per cent, to the amount OF the
wheat crop. A beautiful example came under
his own observation not long before he left
England. On part of field, W hich had been
lhIs drained, the wheat presented most luXur'
liant growth; while on a part OF the same field,
which had not undergone this operation, The
wheat, sowcd ut the same time, was feeble and
just showing itself in struggling parcels above
ground. 1t seems singular fact that the adj.
vantages Of this thorough draining, are as per
ceptble in dry rs in wet weather. A great evil
in clay soils is, that lhey become in dry weather
hard and baked, and impertnable to the roots of
the plants. The water, by this thorough sys.
tenn of draining, being removed quickly from
such soils, they are less subject to become har.
tiened by the sun, and remain porous and fra.
BILE.
There was another Improvement which he
witnessed, and which he considered Ms the most
remarkable and beautiful agricultural improve
ment which had ever co ne under his obselva.
ton. This was an instance OF irrigation. irrI-
CATION is much ipracticed in Wiltshire, In the
south Of England. Ho had repeatedly heard of
water meadows but he had not been able TO
form very satisfactory notion OF what was in.
lended by that designation. AT the Duke OF
Portlands estate he had an opportunity of wits
Messing this extraordinary agricultural improve
ment in remarkable form. This was IN the
north of England at a place called Sherwood
forest. BY forest in this case yon are to I'M
derstand an extent of country within arid soil,
covered with heath and ling, resembling brakes;
with here md there few ouks scattered upon
it, Ten years since this land was not valued at
n rent of one shilling per acre. IL produced
nothing. A brook ran uear il. This brook pas.
sed through Il village and gathered sotne OF the
refuse matter from the houses. 1t was conduc>
ted by q carrier or canal similar 10 the waterway
OF factory or the feeder of a canal, along tie
ed re of this tract of land proposed to be rrIgat-
ed, and suffered TO ooZe or piss out i'll small
quantities over the land. Successive embank-
tnents or barriers were erected to receive AMI
convey the water, and in this way the whole
field WINS irrigated. The water was never per-
mitled 10 flood the land, but was let out in
small quantities. and the field watered in
March, May, July and October. No manure
was ever put upon This land and when Mr.
WEBSTER was there in November, they were
then taking off the third crop of hay cut that
season and which certainly WAS not less than
two tons 10 the acre. A fter this crop was gath
cred, sheep were to be turned In upon 1t, when
were expected to lamb ut Christmas, SO that the
lambs might he ready for the market IN March,
when they would command II high price. There
can be no doubt that The sediment deposited by
the waters which they had collected in their.
transit through the village, contributed much TO-
the extraordinary fertility and productlveness OF
The land =, but there can be as little DOUBT tnat
pure water itself is an element OF Immense value
in agriculture, and that it contains essentially o.
abun9antly the food of plants.
With respect to implements of husbanury
Mr. WEBSTER was of opinion that the Eng
llsh had no advantage over us. lheir wagons
and carts were not better their plough he con-
sidered inferior their threshing machines IN
ferioi to those in use among us. The drill cul
tivaton was a remarkable feature in English
husbandry, and executed with great neaness a.
precision. The young wheat fields appeared
like rows of onions. Some of the drill ma
chimes were constructed as to drop small por-
tons of compost manure with the seed at the
time of sowing. In this matter he remarked up
on our deficiency. Their ground is finely pre-
pared. He saw field in turnips, where the
seed which was carefully soaked and prepared,
was sowed on Friday, and the rows or plants
were distinctly seen on Monday all over the
field This rapid termination, where it can be
effected, has great advantages.
There were various other matters in English
Agriculture upon which he wonld gladly re.
mark, though, at the risk of taxing too severely
the indulganca oF rho ,pee,ino There were