The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1845-01-16
DRAINING OF LANDS.

DAAlNlAG VI LANDS.
There are is Perhaps no part Of The du-
~ Of farmer more neglected Than the
proper draining az his lands, nor is there
one in the whole catalogue ofdnties which
would more richly repay for Iabors be-
slowed. Many fields, which, from their
present wet and neglected state. are lit
lie better. in moist weather, than beds or
mortar, and which in times OF drought,
become almost as hard as stone. could, BY
judicious draining, be converted INTO
moulds. rendered easy cf cultivation, and,
from being sterile masses Of iniractable
clay, be transformed into productive soils;
Tor Il only requires that The superabun.
dance of wa.er should be let Off TO pro-
duce these results. Besides The advan-
isge 10 be gained BY draining. in a pecu
mary point Of view, IN many instances,
the improvement in the health OF place
would more Than compensate for all the
outlay Of money which might be incurred:
and we hazard nothing in saving that, in
neighbnrhoods were marshes abound, If
those marshes couldall be drained, thai
the whole type OF fever and augue and ie-
tsrmiitent ferers, would, in a few years,
wholly disappear; and that such marshes,
when laid dry, would prove. to be among
the most fertile soils any where to he
found, provided lime were applied to neu-
iralize the acids which have been accu-
malalinS Tor years.
nmuifg Ine most TuxnrIant grass lands
we have ever seen. are the meadows on
either side nf what is caIledthe Neck road,
in the neighborIload Of Philadelphia
These lands have all been reclaimed BY
draining and dilching, and having been
sci down in grass, bring prices for graz
ing lots which render them highly pro-
dnctige 10 their owners. We visited them
some eight years since. in company
with friend, who rented hundred
acres, and who assured US, that besides fat
tening a bullock TO the acre each season,
he was enabled TO rnt as much grass OIL
the lots he had in his occupancy, as serv-
cd fourteen head Of cattle and four horses
through the winter. And from the luxu.
RANT appearance Of the grass, when we
saw ia, which time there were so bul.
locks grazing on our friends farm-we
have no tlouM that each acre would have
Welded, If the cattle had bern kept off
three tons of good hay. Wha, has been
done on the Philadelphia Neck lands
NAV be done any wi ere else. wheremar
shes are susceptible Of being laid dry, ant
ibev mas be in any situation where there
: is only amuderate fall, provided the ditch
es are boldly constructed. of suiilclen
wid.h and depth to draw off the waite
/, from the surrounding soil. Where tn
main on n bitches are thas constructed
, they should be so contriyed as to carr.
off the water through some convenien
+. outlet, sn as to prevent lis becoming stag
I nant and injurious to health. As auxllIa
! ~ to the main open bitches, covered
o French drains should be provided, at cor
t veaieu, distances, leading through the be
b. DIV of the marsh or swamp so as to aitrat
! and convey the water with the greater Gel
q tain,y into the open bitches. These CT
a vered drains should not, Of course, b
e made until from the drainage, produce
hy the open bitches, the soil had hecom
- sufficiently settled 10 render the wor
safe.
o The open bitches which we examine
h on our friends farm. were fully six ie
p wide and fur fee, deep they ex,ende
II all r,und each ofhis two fifty acre field
} Will through the centre of each, the
% was another one of equal dimension
ID which served the double purpose OF
Ii drain and division, acting in the latter c
J. pacity instead Of IA fence.
g.