Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-09-17


is not so much in the increase of grain, as IN
tina, Of grass crops A water meadow at
tacl,cd to farm gives the farmer an album
dance Of manure for that portion OF his land
which he keeps in tillagc; for he may con-
vert into dung the whole of the hay II pro- |
duccs, while it requires nothing in return but
watering.
In the Carolinas and Georgia the low lands
bordering on the rivers are irrigated as high
up as the Influence of the tide extends for the
cultivation of rice. The water is admitted
into bitches parallel and perpendicular to
the river, and thence distributed by feeders
over the whole surface, 50 as to drown the
land, by opening the sluiccs when the tide
is rising and after keeping IT there as long
as is deemed necessary, it is let off at low
tidc.-This method might be practiced viii,
great advantage on all the tidc-walcr rivers
throughout our country where the banks are
low enough TO admit the water at high tide.
Flat lands that have not the. advantage
of tide water, are the most difficult TO irri-
gate successfully, for it is essential that when
the water is let off, the land should be drain
ed perfectly dry; otherwise it will produce
coarse grass of inferior quality.
Lands that have gentle slope, even steep
hillside, are better adapted for irrigation, as
they admit Of the water flowing over them
without covering the top Of the plants, thus
giving them the advantage of air and mois-
turc. A gentle current is considered more
advantageous than stagnant water, and the
land thus situated will always drain dry when
the water ceases to flow. On level land it
i Ia, tl,, Z, f,,. t',,t
it may enter tho river low enough to ensure
a sufficient fall to dry the land.
Where the stream is rapid and the fall
great, 1t is not necessary 10 construct ANY
dam; but simply to tap the river high enough
up to lead the water along the highest part
OF the field but where the current is slug
gish, the water must be raised by ID dam
erected at the point where it is to be used.
There are two methods Of watering lands.
The one by dividing the field Into regular
beds, and the other by what is called catch
work, which is resortcd to where the form
OF the ground is irregular. It varies there
fore with the circumstances OF the land 1t Is
proposed to water; but the conductors,
ieeuers and drains must be laid out SO aS ~
profit by the natural movements OI the soil
both to water and ~ drain It,
The first thing to be done by the farmer
who desires 10 lrrigate h!S neus, Is to take
an accurate level ol the ground wnicI! he IN
tends to water, SO as to compare the highest
pant oil 1t with the height OF the wafer 10 be
used. the surface vi the water must be
eight, twelve or twenty inches higher than
that OF the land, according 10 the uistauce OF
one, two or three hundred yards from the
one to the other. Tie main conductor Is
then to be cut from that point DIS straight as
II can be, to lead to and continued along the
highest side OF the field. ii tic lam has
any swclls on It's surface higher than the rest,
It VIII be necessary TO give 10 each OF item
It's own conductor, VIM feeders branching
from it, TO convey the waller over that POI
ton OF the field. The width ui the CunuuC-
tors must depend upon the quantity oil water
they are required 10 convey; ana be deep
enough 10 receive the muauIcsl portion vi
tuc stream; for although the IaUd viii rrolit
BY being covered with clear water, ii is more
eurichcu by the deposit vi urUid streams.
Each conductor is TO be prev llcd with a
/ slucc to regulate the admission Of the water.
} In case the river does not run IN such d.
: reaction as to allow the water after flowing
: the land, to be discharged directly into it, a
: main drain must be cut along the lower part
l Of the meadow to receive the surplus water
: and convey it into the river This should
l be of the same dimensions as the principal
| conductor. The portion of meadow to be
! watcred by each conductor is next to be d.
; viled into beds from thirty to fifty feet vide
g the feeders, which branch al right angles
, from the conductor, running along the centre
! OF them, except where the ground falls two
4 ways, when it may be necessary TO make
the feeders nearer to one drain than the other
t \ bed two hundred yards long i'll require
= a feeder where il leaves the conductor to be
twenty inches wide, and gradually diminish
ing in width to twelve inches the extremity
!. drain is to be made between every two
r feeders, and PARALLEL to them of the same
i, dimensions, but reversed form the uppcl
-, part being ten or twelve inches, and tho
drain gradually widening 10 twenty inches
where 1t terminates either in the main or il.
the river. Surprising these works finished
I and ready to 90 into operation, the manager
, opens the s!uicc to admit the water into tho
conductor, where he adjusts the stops in sucI
amanner as to supply the feeders. He mex
regulates the stops in the first feeder, 50 tha
the water shall low regularly over its side:
1 from one end 10 the other. He then repeat,
V this process in tie second feeder, and so OF
until all the feeders are adjusted. The stop.
may be OF pieces of board or Of turf pinneC
. down, Unnecessary, taking care to keep the
i heads Of the pegs below the surface Of Ii,
g water, otherwise they are apt to collec
Q weeds and trash
c The rule in Europe is to flow the lane
. throughout the months of October, Novcm'
Der, December and January, letting The
), water run ten or fifteen days at time, anC
d keeping the land perfectly dry during tin
If Intervals. This can only be done in situa,
|. tons where it IS not liable to freeze hard; fol
q a sheet OF ice forming over the soll would in,
jure it. In February it is recommended IL
water in the evening and let the water OF
n early in the morning this practice is con,