The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-06-08
From the Southern Planter.
DRAINING AND MANuRING.

for the improvement Of land consist IN
draining and manuring. To have good
understanding of these will 60 far to the
sneedv restoration of our worn out lands.
elskuow a piece of land on which a friend
of mine has put hundreds of loads OF
manure, and yet the land looks very poor,
arising from the too great abundance OF
water retained in the soil. AS often see
in your useful paper, communications on
these subjects differing somewhat from
my own views, Ibeg leave through the
Planter to state few things in reference
to both.
lst. As it regards draining. There
are many who, although convinced that
water retained in the soil ncutralizes the
fertilizing qualities of it, yet, are deter
red from draining on account of labor
and expense, especially if wood is scarce
with them. Now, the plan pursue is
certainly the cheapest Of any have yet
seen recommended. 1t is as follows: l
dig my drain, if possible, three feet deep.
but so narrow at the bottom as Just to let
two pine poles lie side by side. Within
four inches of the bottom, | lay pieces of
pine of the same size with the poles across
the drain, about four feet apart, on which
the pine poles are to rest. These cross
pieces are to keep the long poles from fall
ling down on the bottom of the drain,
and being four inches from it, give abun-
dance of vent to the water. When
put down the long poles, it is necessary to
reverse them, laying the thick end of one
with the small end Of the other; then, on
thetop of the poles put the pine brush
thick enough to prevent the loose dirt from
falling under the poles. ] know some
have been in the practice of laying down
three poles in the bottom, but it does not
answer good purpose long, and in short
time it is seen that the labor and poles are
thrown away; but as long as1 poles will
last under ground, you have good drain;
one, that will last longer than box drain
of plank. Moreover, in many places,
the ground, through which you cut ditch,
is 50 soft that no box drain will be of any
service, on account of its sinking: this
you will see is remedied by the cross pie
ces, which can be made to stretch far
enough across on both sides Of the drain,
as to resist the pressure; or if you choose,
drive stop down on each side Of the
drain for the cross pieces to rest upon, as
/ have done many times. If l were near
a saw mill, and had plenty of outside
plank offered to me for nothing, would
make use Of them to lay on the cross pic
ces; but as every body has pine poles: It
is poorly worth while to be hauling slab
plank from a distance. / have only to
add, that have made drains of stone, Oh
plank, and of poles, and prefer the latter,
for expedition and cheapness. l could
say much on the Importance Of draining
land, but as fear / should be trouble
some to you, shall proceed to the next
article.
I'd. On the most judicious method Of
using manure. l take it for granted that
a majority Of farmers admit that manure
ought to be deeply covered, but kept near
the surface of the earth, and shall not,
therefore, give the why or wherefore, only
observing, that it is one thing to put ma
nure near the surface, and another, to
put it on the top, and leave it exposed tn
the wasting influence of exhalation. If,
for example, it it be hauled out and
spread on the crop of wheat in the spring,
or laid on the top of corn, so much of it
is wasted by the influence of the sun and
wind. Now, l am not saying that no
good will be done to the wheat and corn
BY the above plan of surface dressing;
what we are in pursuit of, is the most ju-
dicious method Of using manure. Let a
piece Of land be taken which has been in
corn the previous year, plough it up we'll
haul out all the manure that can be
spared-let it be scattered on this land,
and, after oats has been sown, harrow it
it over with large harrow, then sow clo-
yer and run heavy roller over it, and
when the clover and oats are above the
ground, sow a bushel of plaster to the
acre, and you have, in my judgment, the
best way manure can be used, both as it
regards saving it from waste and improv-
ing land. The harrow incorporates it
with the earth sufficiently to prevent the
ammonia from escaping, while every clo1