Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-08-21
STAGNANT WATER.

Ofall the causes that contribute to rem
der soils poor and worthless, VIC believe
there is none more active than stagnant wat
or, on the surface or Immediately below
Such soils arc invariably close and tenacious
and commonly quite unproductive. Where
there is a rctentive subsoil, the surface gen.
orally abounds in clay, is difficult to work,
and gives less reward to labor than almost
any other. This Is owing to the stagnant
water held by it, as none Of the valuable
plants can flourish in soil so constituted
Land is liable to injury from this cause, on
which water during wet weather rests on
the surface for even short period, for the
roots of plant cannot penetrate soil freely
in which the density is such that rain water
does not freely sink through it to the natural
drains in the subsoil, below the ordinary
range of the roots of plants. Water is csen-
tal to the growth and perfection of plants,
but water that does not circulate, or which
exists in too great quantities, is fatal 10 them
and the first thing to be done, is to free the
soils from this incumberence, if we would
give it productivcncss, and render it easy of
culture.
1t is from these we'll known effects of
stagnant water, when on the surface, or
wirhin reach of the roots of plants, that the
necessity of draining arises, and which sys-
tenn of operating, when fully carried out,
completely changes the character of lands
submitted to such course. Manurcs APP
piled to soils Astounding in stagnant water,
can produce little effect; tho salts they con-
tain are diluted, and cannot produce that
action, or circulation of atoms, which APP
pears absolutely necessary to productiveness.
In clay, or in stagnant water, where sub
stances are not exposed to heat and atmos-
pheric agencies, decomposition is Slow
Every farmer knows that manurcs produce
much moro effect on loan, gravel, or drain
cd clay soils, than on those so retentlve as
to have water on or near the surface
Draining then, and aration, or the exposing
the soil to atmospheric action, to the inlu-
ence of the sun and air by deep ploughing,
seems to be the only thing that can be re-
lied on TO correct this serious evil.
Instances indeed occur in which the wet
ness of land is produced by springs, which
rising from the earth, spread over it; but in
far the greater number Of cases, the stagnant
water is owing to rctcntive subsoil, that
prevents the escape Of such water as falls
upon it. In either case, however, the REM
edy is the same; and in the language of
Morton on Soils, complete and perfect drain
ing is the foundation Of all improvement in
husbandry, and it should be, therefore, be
the first step which we take in attempting to
improve or amelioratc the soil.
A very large portion of the lands in this
country, are of that class that suffer more or
less from the accumulation of water. No
person can traverse II in various directions,
without being sensible of this fact; and in
consequence Of such liability to suffer, the
land in many districts is cold and poor, as
land not freed from stagnant water always
must be. The hard pan lands which cover
named as belonging TO this class, though
some Of these contain more clay than others,
and are therefore more shallow aud difficult
to work than others, where the subsoil, al
though still too retentive, lies deeper, and is
therefore not so inturions as the first kind is
well known to be.
Much Of this hard pan, when freed from
its stagnant water, drained and plowed, will
become very fertile and productive; indeed
there is no case in which soil cannot by
sufficient labor and expense, be made pre-
cisely what is desired. The native carths
that go to constitute soils, the clay, sand,
and lime, in themselves do not make soil
productive; propely mixed and proportional
they constitute base for the action of the
vegetable and animal manures, and the vari-
Gus salts OR stimulating agents. that excite the