The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-10-01


introduction into this country is worry late, il
indeed il can as yet bo said 10 DO fairly in
troduccd; but 30 far as its effects can be as
ccrtaincd, thoy arc quito as favorable as in
Great Britain.
The matcral chiefly used for forming these
drains is tiles, made for the purpose. Stones
hsvo beon used, but thero arc many siiua-
tions in which they cannot bo had, and the
superiority of tiles, as to convenience Of lay
ing, and effectiveness OF operation, will su-
porscdo their use. Wo have now in tho
country four machines for the manufacture
Of drain-tiles- all Of which arc in the State
Of New York. Two Of them have only been
in operation tho past and present season
another for year or two longer, and the
fourth is lately started. The one which has
been longest in operation is at Waterloo, in
the county of Seneca, and the ono lately es-
tablished is in the Same county, and hear,
also, that another is soon to be started there.
Ono farmer, Mr., Johnston, near Geneva,
has now, on his farm Of 300 acres, G(leen
miles Of drains and has on hand 10000 tiles
TO bo used thi, fall. Ho writes that one OF
his neighbors laid $4,000 tiles last spring,
and that another intends laying 10000 this
fall and next spring, /" if he can get them"
-lor such has been the demand for the Last
two years, that supply could not be OBJ
tanned, and this has occa,ioned tho increase
of machines Tor making them.
As Mr.. Johnston may almost be deemed
the originator of tile drainage in this country,
brief notice Of his experience is perhaps
the best illustration can here give Of its
advantages. Abont 80 years since he came
from Scotland, and bought part Of the farm
on which he now lives. The land vas in
such condition that he was laughed at for
what was regarded as foolish expenditure
Of money, and evon the men Of whom he
bought discouraged him by saying the land
would bear nothing He saw that much OF
it needed draining, and determined to drain
it as soon as practicable. Blu, at first ho
could get no tiles, and was obliged 10 use
stones, Of which only partial supply could
DO had. Afler several years he procured a
pattern Of tile from Scotland. and succeed
ed in getting a potter at Waterloo. Mr..
Whartenby, to make somo- This was be-
fore machines for making tiles were brought
into use.
MIR. Johnston's drainage was, Of course,
at first confined to such spots as most OBJ
vously required il--such as swales and oozy
spots in his wheat fields, where tie plant was
almost always winer-killed. The effect was
so surprising as at once TO attract the atten-
ton OF his neighbors, some Of whom had
amused themselves with what they regarded
as the visionary enterprises Of the Scotch
man." The places which before being drain
ed would bear no wheat, nor indeed scarcely
anything but some grass and reeds, were
made to produce the finest grain crops of
every kind. The favorable result Of his
first operations in drainage induced its cs-
tension from year to year, till it has reached
the limit before mentioned. The exams
pie has by no means been lost on the
community, but it has constituted nucleus
around which the improvement has rapidly
gathered, and tho Ultimate advantages of
which arc beyond calculation.
Mr.. Johnston states that the present low
price OF wheat is rather hindrance to the
extension of drainage, but that even now
there is no money expended on the farm
which pays so well, and such is the expres-
sion Of all who have engaged in the i'm
provemcnt Every judicioua commence
ment in the business, has induced further
outlay.
tits proper 10 say a word here in regard
to the expense Of drainage. Th, will vary
some according to the labor required in dig
gins the drains, which depend, considerably
on the nature Of the soil and the cost of tiles
will depend on The facilities for obtaining
them, or the nearne,s to the manufactory, as
transportation increases the expense. Tho
cost of the tiles at the kiln is, for those Of
one inch bore, Ground or pipe tic,) fifteen
inches long, s. per thousand pieces those
Of Two inches bore, $40 per thousand. 9th
crs Of larger size and Of different forms,
cost from Sl2 TO sl4 per thousand. The
two first mentioned sizes, except for the main
drains. are large enough. Before the intro
duciion OF tilc'machines, Mr. Johnston's tiles
cost, on the average, twenty cents rod /;
now their cost is not over twelve 10 fifteen
cents, and the entire cost of the drains when
is not over thirty cents rod.
The usual depth Of tho drains is two and
half fcot. This has been found deep enough
in general, though sometimes, for main
drains, or in cutting through narrow ridges,
a greater depth is necessary. This subject
Of the proper depth of drains has been much
discussed in England and Scotland. Some
have contcnded strenuously for depth of
four feet, but tho conclusion seems now be-
coming general, that two and hall and
three feet is preferable
A few words as 10 the effect of drains, and
tho reasons why they are beneficial. Their
first operation is TO prevent the water from
lying on the surface or remaining in undue
quantity in the soil. In doing Ibis, they pro-
tcct crops both against wet and 9rouih-the
two most formidable adverse circumstances
with which the farmer has to contend.
That thoy should at tho same time be a
protection against tho opposite conditions Of
wet and droath, may appear contradictory.
This is a common idea, and tho introduction