Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-07-18

our own neighborhoOd, as a few OF our intelligent
friends on Staten Island, have at suggestion,
imported tile machine for the purpose of forming
the materials for this important improvement. The
undertaking is in the hands of spirited and wealthy
persons whose hearts we'll as purses, are in the
enterprise and certain to hear favorable re-
suits from their efforts Strange it may seem,
have hitherto not had single instance of thorough
drainage in the neighbOrhood of this metropolis of
half world, where choice land is worth from $3.50
$500 per for cultivation alone, for farming and
horticultural purposes Understandings, if thorough
ly done will cost from $50 to $40 and if in excess
lively stiff clay. perhaps $50 to SIS per acre. But
satisfied that no land requiring drainage will
be benefited less than 25 per cent, while the very
stiff cays will be much more than doubled In value,
for all tilage purposes.
price of land for agricultural purposes, and the min
imum improvement of it by drainage, we shall have
increase of their intrinsic worth by this operation
of S37 so per acre. while in the more valuable and
stiffest clay, may have increase of more than
$3.50. This last amount of improvement. have
doubt will be fully realised in Of the lands
now surrounding the city of New York.
OF the wonderful effects produced by under drain
age, we quote from late Agricultural Gazette,
English paper the experience of one of its inteli-
gent correspondents, Mr.. ]. NJ Paine. He says
have drained land ofthe very stiffest description
over very considerable extent, During the last
eight or ten years. and have had no occasion to use
any burrows whatever. The land upon which have
OpeFdGeu is the SuWt cay winch is DY many degrees
sitter and more compact than the London clay
Here, for after there is not gle furrow,
and safely assert that after the late unusually
heavy rains of last January upon these fields when
the rain had ceased an hour two, no water what
ever could be SEEM though it was running away in
torrents through the drains.
Many years ago, experimental On this description
Of land on small scale; and then found that the
drains ought not to be more than Is feet apart in
order to be thoroughly efficient. This gave con-
fdence as to the method to be adopted in my future
proceedings, though must confess was half deter
red by the prospective cost it enormous, equal
to half the fee simple of the original value of the
ground. But | persevered, and am happy to add
that have had reason to repent of the outlay,
have been amply repaid in the subsequently ex-
uberant fertility of the soil thus treated In this
land, the drains from four to five feet deep and
from twelve to fifteen feet apart The cost was 916
per acre. And here again repeat, that after the
heaviest rains melted snow the surface of the land
is in appearance dry if it rested sand bed
Only few years ago, what is commonly termed
thorough draining most unpalitable necessity.
obtruded upon land owners, and for long time
resisted but it is now almost universally acknowl-
edged to be the foundation of good farming and
they only have acted wisely who have obeyed its
quirements. But, the other hand, it may be sta
ted for the comfort of the farmer in these disastrous
times, that this very stiff land after drainage with
proper cultivation and manuring, is capable of pro-
curing enormous crops both of grain and roots this
L can testify TO from experience.
will give another instance or two, from farms not
in my occupation. The first is a small farm of a.
bout 10 acres which drained lest year This land
was unusually wet and although it was thrown up
in high burrows of about eight feet wide. it
was impossible for horses, excepting in the driest
weather, when the ground baked up as hard as a
brick. The seasons for sowing frequently lost
as the land could not be got ready in time. Now
the drains in this farm put in at four and four
and half feet in depth, and at distances varying
from Is to 80 feet such from the character of the
soil deemed sufficient the surface soil not being Of
one uniform texture. After the draining was COM
peted, recommended the tenant to throw down all
the high ridges, and lay the ground perfectly fat
He followed my advice and the land has ever since
been thoroughly dry without indicating the neces-
sity of retaining any burrows. walked over this
farm during the wetest part of January there was
water at all to be seen on the surface, and tae
ground under foot had become perfectly sound tho
previous to the draining, after similar heavy rains,
have often SEEM the inclined surfaces of the fields
gulies washed out two and three feet Deep and the
flats of the fields rotten that person could
not walk on them without sinking his shoes al
every step. The subsoi of this farm is also the gaul
clay.
| will. only mention one more instance, taken from
the land of friend and neghbor of mine. The land
he has drained rests upon the London clay. Previou
ly it was very poor wet pasture ground producing
little besides rushes and moss He could not obtain
tenant for it at IS. Cd an acre He therefore de-
termined to drain it. and occupy it himself His
drains placed four feet Deep and thirty feet a.
part The remedy has proved efectual, the land
being good now as the rest of his farm, and be
could readily let it for sos. per
Here, again, we have illustration of the non
necessity of open burrows derived from an experiment
over some so or 60 acres, the whole of which now
lies perfectly fiat
| 1t is obviously impossible to lay down any uniform
set of rules as to the proper distances which drains
should be placed so as to make them thoroughly eff
Gent these must be regulated in each case by the
texture and consistency of the soil ; but do mos
unhesitatingly maintain, if the land be truly under
drained, that is deeply enough and thickly enough
that open burrows to carry off surface water arr
more than useless To the scientific farmer it would
be mere waste time to descant upon the advantages
accruing from water percolang through the soil in
stead drumming over it; and particularly since
so much light has been thrown upon the rationale o
the benefits arising from the percoaton of water b,
the individual discoveries resulting from the invest
cations of Professor Way and Mr.. Thompson on thu
manurng absorptive power of clay in our agricul
tural soils ought, perhaps, to add that invaria
bly, trench or subsol Immediately after draining.
This afternoon, walked to my farm to see the eft
fects of continuous, heavy IL hours rain upon tn
land | consider this capital opportunity for test
ing the accuracy of my statement relative to the alb
sence of all surface water, upon my thickly ant
deeply-draned land for before the storm of to-day
during the past week. the rains have been so heav,
as to saturate the soil with water, and our Low
grounds have been constantly flooded so | though
if ever water was to be seen on the surface shoul(
find it there to-day 1t was pouring with rain wheI
| started from home, but there was temporar,
clearing up of the weather about five minutes befor
reached this part of my farm, in company with m,
baiH We walked over every part of the stiles
gaut-eay field that [ possess, containing about l:
acres; and | most confidently assert that Their