Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-01-03
AGRICULTURAL.
FRENCH DRAIN.

MESsRs. ED,roRs.-l have just finished
one hundred and sixteen rods Of French
or covered drain. a, a cost. of about $50
for hire and boarding. which is about
seventeen Gus. per rod, counting nothing
for the use of the team. As most Of your
readers are farmers. il NAV not be amiss to
Give ONE account Of this little improve
ment.
The main drain is some fifty rods in
length. about 90 inches in width and from
I8 to 80 in depth. owing to the inclina-
ton Of ground over which it passes. so as
to make the descent Of the water COM
nle,e Small stones are lai at the sides
Of the drain. so as to leave a passage for
the water between them and the whole
covered with a fiat stone leveling off with
small spalls. This leaves a passage for
the water up which man could thrust his
arm. Straw was thrown upon the stones
and the dirt returned with shovel The
side drains were erected in similar way
but not so wide The whole was through
a meadow sward. and accomplished with
a spade and shovel.
This will redeem from comparative
worthlessness an acre and n half of excel
lent land. which in consequence of two
springs discharging their waters upon it.
made it all the time swampv. affording no.
thing but sour grass. which stock wouldnot
eat. calculate that three year pasturage
or hay. OF two crops of corn will pay the
whole expense Of draining, say nothing
about the convenience Of operating in dry
instead Of swampy. wet ground.
have had in operation. some go years.
c.tx: ~
length. across a tllabe field to the mca-
dow. but which now discharges its waters
into the new drain. making one of 80 rods
in continuous length. The old drain cost
me eight days work and has redeemed
from swamp near an acre Of land, making
it the dryest part of the tield--the soonest
incase for the pillow after heavy rain.
During the whole time have had no diff
fcu!tv from distractions. The crawtish
keep it open. If you were Intentionally
to stop it up with clay. one day. by the
next morning these industrious little opera
tors would have a way through for the
wafer.
Indeed if it were not for tho crawiish,
draining would be comparatively useless.
For such is the tenacity of many clays
that water would no more penetrate, or
pass through them, than il would through
an earthen vessel. But. as these under
drains greatly suit the taste and convent
ence of these amphibious creatures, they
make it place of general rendezvous.
One will make his hole out to the air 3
ward from the drain; another two yards:
another three, and SO on, until they will
riddle piece Of ground. in the neighbor-
hood Of their head quarters, all full Of
holes. which will conduct the surface wa
ter to the bottom of the drain, thus making
dry and firm the wettcst and most swampy
land.
When in the early settlement OF this
country we used to be annoyed by the
crawfish leading away our springs-which
were much weaker in general than now
and hiding the water from our sight, so
that we had 10 waste our salt upon them,
to abate the nuisance, | could not then
understand why wise and benevolent
Being would atfiict his creatures with such
seemingly worthless creatures. But since
have commenced the draining opera.
tons | now understand the matter, and
consider the crawtsh among God's "good
gifts to man.
If your grounds were not sward, bu
under circumstances that you could use
the pillow, throwing out all you could with
that implement. and then finish with the
spade. your drains could be made cheaper
Some years since finished a drain o.
forty rods. by using the plow throwing ou
and returning the earth, with eight day:
work.
Under many circumstances there could
not be better investment Of capital. than
for farmers to improve their lands by drain.
ing. They have to pillow, or run over
every year, in cultivating the balance o.
their fields, acres Of drowned land; often
wading through water. If they would
only dry it in the way here recommended
they would be saved the expense in two OF
three years, then all thereafter would be
clear gain. This would be much bette,
than to buy more lands and to cultivate
the whole in negligent and slovenly
manner.-RancsriiIe Gazette.
DEPTH OF MANURE.
Considerable discussion is going on in
the papers relative to the proper depth to
bury manure. Some assert that its best
parts descend, and, therefore it should be
but slightly covered-while others main
tain that nearly the whole strength be-
comes gaseous, rises, and it must there
fore be buried deep. Allthis difference Of