Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-11-20

Cuce good crops OF Wneat, as careful uE8ln-
age by water burrows and open bitches, as
our river bottoms. More towards the Pa
tuxent the subsratum as we'll as the surface
is Of different texture, and the water per-
coIates more freely through both, but even
there their farming would be much improv-
ed by more thorough drainage. The slopes
Of the hills of course shed their water free
ly. and require attention only to prevent
washing by its too rapid descent This
can generally be effected by horizontal i'll
lsge, the ridges Of which break the force
Of The direct descent of the water and lead
it off in smaller volumes and by more gen
tie grades. But to do this the tillage, though
so called, should not be exactly horizontal,
but should cross that line at small angle re-
gula,ed by the local circumstances. At the
base Of the hills and al various distances
further on in the bottoms, the strata Of water
bearing clay, on which the hills rest, crops
out, and springs arise, not unfrequently suffi
cenily copious 10 form extensive boys o
thousand times more injurious to health than
the Underwater marshes, which are more or
less cleansed by every refux of the tide
whereas these bogs, their supply of water d.
minishing as the dry season approaches, be-
come in midsummer and early autumn beds
Of stsgnant pu,rescence and sources of the
most poisonous melaria. A li'tle pains and
labor will ef1ectually drain them all, and give
you in place of peslience and death, beaui-
full meadows or The richest arabic land. |. not
unfrequen,ly happens that these supplies of
water, thus flowing or percoa'ing into the
bottom lands, are no, sufficient in quantI,y,
or are too much diffused TO form springs or
bogs, but YET keep the land cold and wet,
and greatly impair lis productiveness. For
all these, the simple, certain and easy reme
dy is covered or secret drains. To be el-
feclual, the dilches must be sunk along the
highest line al which the redundant mois-
ture is percev ed-to sufficient depth to reach
below and intercept the supply of water in
its natural course the sut1iciency of depth
is known by coming in contac. with a stra
lum Of clay or very fine and compac, sand,
through which The water does not descend
by percola,ion at all, or so very slowly tina,
il rests upon or flows over it. Having
reached this stratum, which in such situa-
lions is not usually far below the surface,
and adapted the capacity Of your ditch to
the supply Of water, and given 10 it of course
The proper inclination and vent to some
open drain or adjacen. flowing stream, by
which the water will be finally carried of,
all you have to do is to lay along the bot
tom Of your ditch line Of green pine poles
on each side, two, three or more inches apart.
according TO the volume Of waller to be dis
charged, (but there are very few instances
in which three inches will not afford space
enough,) and cover these, first BY lay ing
another line of poles along on the top of
them, Of such size and in such manner as
for the top pole TO rest on the top or side
Of each of those beneath it, then pack in
upon both sides and on top fall, quan.i-
ty of green pine brush and cover all up
even with, or lille above the general sur
face, with the earth taken out in cutting the
ditch, taking care, if the surface earth be
sandy, to pack in, first, the earth taken from
the more adhesive stratum at the bottom Of
the ditch, and your drain is complete and
will last many years. 1t will have COS. you
a fourth more than an open ditch, bet It will
eEec. your purpose, which an open ditch
would not long do, and it will last twenty
times as long. have specified green pine
as the material to be used, because, though
for the most part worthless wood upon
The surface, if used green and placed out of
the reach Of atmospheric influence, in mois,
situations, it is very durable and will I'M
dergo scarcely any perceptible change for
some of which have been standing sixteen
years and still operate effeciually; nor have
| ever failed of success in this way but in
in single instance, and that was because
Of The imperfect manner in which the work
was done. 1t is needless 10 descant upon
the superior advantages of secre. drains, for
the purposes 10 which they are adapted,
over open bitches. Their greater efficacy
and greater durability are enough; bu.
there is still another striking advantage that
Far from forming any impeachment in The way
of cultivation, you plough over them, as if
they were no. there, and grain and grass or
other crops will be found TO grow as well
on or over them, and indeed better than
elsewhere. Tile are about being made Of
particular shape and quality 10 be offered
TO US for sale at a high price for this pur-
pose. want none such as long as have
access to green pine, and of this article we
Charles county people are not likely to be
in want for many, many years TO come
! should add that many Of these bogs or
lagoons are depressed towards their centres
and fall below The level Of the lands inter-
vening between them and the rivers, creeks
or large streams hey ond, in consequence of
which, the rain or surface water is apt to
collect in them after Your covered drains
have been completed. Wherever this is
the case, open bitches mus, be resorted to
within or below the covered drain, to carry
off this surface water in the most conve-
MEN. direction, SO they do not bisect or ira
verse the covered drain. In many Of our
necks and other extensive fiat and low