Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-10-18
Agricultural.
Gleanlngs by the Editor American Fartner:-
Importance and Effects OF Draining Lands.


The following item from Falkner, will set forth in
bold relief the immense advantages resulting from
draining sUet lands:
To Tau manure upon tcet sols is, indeed, to roaU
money aDay but were draining universally effected
the whole OF the now comparatively unproductive
soils of the country would, to vast extent, be rem
dered capable of receiving the benefit of the
GUS modes of fertzing it. Its returns imnedi-
ate well eompensatiUe; and to hesitate to drain
the land is hesitate to confer benefit upon ones
SELF of which strong proof has been lately brought
forward in statement of the profit resulting from
the drainage of 467 acres and the employment
drain water over SO of land, the estate of
Lord Hatherton in Stafordshire, afording clear
annual interest the outlay of full thrtyseven per
cent"
In illustrating the propriety of relieving arabic
lands of any Of rater professor Gray very for
chilly remarks:
"The necessity and Importance of draining wet
grounds, may be rendered evident by the following
| Considerations:
l. An excess Of water moisture prevents the
ploughing and pulverizing of the soil until late in
the season, and when the attempt is finally made it
can but imperfectly succeed hence the manures
not being properly incorporated with the SOIL are
deprived Of their effect upon the roots The crop is
checked and is liable to be injured by early frosts
2. An excess of moisture prevents Tie process of
decay, or the decomposition of the organic matters
in the SOIL and thus cut off regular supply of food
This effect is exemplifed in peat swamps where the
vegetable matters being prevented from decay by
water, accumulate in large quantities to the depth
often of 20 feet, and form peat.
3. Lands which have an excess of water, often be-
come dry and compact in seasons Of drought The
roots thus prevented from penetrating the SOIL
and from extending themselves freely in all direc
tions, but, the influence of the air, and of the dew
which are so important in dry weather, are almost
wholly excluded from them. Hence such soils, es-
pecialy if they are stiff clays, suffer much from
drought as from excess of moisture.
4. When the roots of plants extend into wet SOIL
the food is too much diluted, is not prepared in
sufficient quantities to ensure healthfu and vigor
growth. Leaves and i'll formed shoots will some
| times be abundant instead of flowers and fruit.
5. An excess of water in ures and destoys the f.
brous portion Of the roots, spongelets by means
Of which, nourishment is received This effect takes
place when the water becomes stagnant and putre-
scent, it is liable to become when the land is lev
ell and the subsol retentiye. In Others the plant
rots eff at the ground, especially if there is light and
heat.
heat and air. two indispensable agents in the growth
of plants.
7. Experience shows however well soil may be
constituted in its mineral ingredients, and however
rich it may be in humus GENE and salts, Guilt
waited crop will flourish WE'LL unless the surface of
the soil and the soil ITSELF is made dry during the
growth of the CROP and when required to be worked
by the plough or hoe.
Hence the utility Of draining must be evident to
every farmer. For system of draining rightly con-
Quoted will not only remedy the evils above desert
bed, but will much time and labor in the cul-
tivation of the crop two weeks at least will be gain
ed by the getting in and ripenng of it, The product
tUU be one-thtrd greater, and Onehird Of the labor
sared an the titing.
| De CondoHe regards the influence of stagnant
ter about the neck of plants operating simply to
exclude the oxygen of the air but
Lindey more properly attributes the injury to the
Oar temperature of the soil in which water is suffered
to accumulate. 1t is because of the danger, says
Lndley, ofallowing any accumulation of water about
the roots of plants, that drainage is very mpor
tant.
Professor Norton, in his new and able work upon
Scientific Agrc,lture in treating of the subject of
the mechanical improvement of the SOIL has the fol-
lowing chapters
THE EFFECTS OF TOO MUCH MOISTURE IN THE SOIL.
81 come now to mention defect in soils which is
of very great importance, and which has not vet
been fully appreciated in this country This is the
presence of too much moisture. Wherever water is
so abundant IN the soil as to completely saturae it,
various evil effects take place.
The necessary decomposition of organic substan-
is arrested and certain vegetable acids form
ed called by chemists humic ulnc, geic ucids: etc.
In swamps and low grounds generally, these accumu
late to large extent, and form the deep black soil
or muck of such situations.
So long as these acids are present in such Excess
sive quantity valuable plants refuse to grow but as
is we'll known when the muck is taken out and dried,
it becomes valuable manure this is because air
and warmth obtain access and the process of decom-
position goes on again. In order to avoid misappre-
hension it ought here to be mentioned, that these
acids in small proportions really useful in the
SOIL as furnishing portion of their food to plants
1t is the ercess of them that does much injury.
1t is not only in swamps that this injurious forma
ton occurs there is much land which is too wet in
the early part of the season, in which springs
that saturate the surface; this land may be hard
and may bear ploughing, yet still it is what
farmers call cold and sour. These are exactly the
proper words, for they truly express its qualities
Considerable and quantities OF these vege-
table acids are formed and the water by constant
evaporation from the surface produces cold the
grass is scanty and poor, while rushes show them
selves in the wettest spots There are large tracts
of such land this in almost every part of the
and vet that is the only way to make any permanent
improvement upon it. 1t is cold and late in spring,
apt to bake hard in summer, and to suffer from
" frosts in autumn It is not FIT condition to sup
port good crops, and the only way to bring it into
good state is to dry it.
Some land is dry on the surface, but has q wet
subso: when the roots of plants get down to this,
they find at injurious food. not only the acids
already mentioned but inorganic substances. The
protoxde of iron very apt to form in such places,
and is at fatal the plant find nutriment
IS to drain The good effects of this operation all
soils suffering from any of the causes above mention
It ed are very remarkable, and must briefly be speci-
= fed before going farther"
Q ON THE CHANGES WHICH RESULT FROM DRAINING.
r when the drain is made and covered for I al.
d ways mean here covered drains), the water which
falls upon the ground does not remain to stagnate
is and does not away the surface washing of
the best of the SOIL but sinks gradually down, yield
ing the roots of plants any ertzng matter which
it may contain, and often washing out some hurtfu
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