The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1853-11-23
AGRICULTURAL
Main Features Of Agriculture.

The following is from Horace Greeley's
address TO the farmers of Indiana, and is
capital:
The three main features Of agricultural
advancement among the Anglo-Saxon race
nowadays are: 1. Deep.Plowing or Sub.
Selling; 2. Draining; 8. Irrigation. am
quite aware that Draining should take
precedence in the order of time, yet | be-
~lieve, in point of fact. Deep Flowing has
led to Draining, by demonstrating its nec-
essity. and not Draining to Deep Flowing.
We suffer immensely from drought in this
country. Probably the aggregate annual
loss from drought alone throughout the
Union decidedly exceeds, taking one year
with another, the entire cost ofour FEEDER
al Government. Yet we know that the
roots Of most plants willdescend to mois-
ture, no matter how dry the surface, if the
earth beneath them is porous, mellow and
inviting. Hence we realize the immense
importance of Deep Flowing; and hence,
after doubling our Teams, and sinking our
deepest Plows TO the beam, we summon to
cur aid the Sub.Soil implement, and go
down a depth beyond that ofany single fur
row. But we soon find that the pulveriza.
ton of the sub-soil, thus attained. has no
permanent effect; that the water that leach.
cs down 10 it settles it into a compact, SOL
id mass. which the roots cannot perforate;
and all D sub-soiling needs to be done
over again. The remedy that readily sug-
gests itself is the freeing of the sub.soil
from water by drains sunk below it, say
three to six rods apart, and filed half way
up with pebbles, with fat stones forming a
sort of c~ulvert, or still better, laid with
draining-tile or hollow brick, placed end
to end, and forming a continuous channel
from the highest part of any slope or grade
. to the brook which drains it. And now
the sub soil, supposing the drains well
made and tho Gr~ainage.way sufficient, is
readily freed from any water settling into
it, and long retains the porous and perme-
, able character communicated to it by deep
J, blowing.
or course this does not exhaust the good
3 effects Of Draining. The sub.soil, thus
v loosened and freed from excessive mois-
ture, becomes a source of food as well as
e drink 10 the plants growing above it; for
that ii is capable of feeding plants. no one,
+ who has observed the rank vegetation
growing out of the earth thrown up by
0 draining or digging. can doubt. Instead
n of being like a slough in wet weather and
like o brick in dry, the sub-soil retains suf
: 6cient moisture to cheer the plants, bu
too little to indurate itself. And tie NEAR
n temperature of the soil, hitherto lowered
, by the constant evaporation Of the waite
confined in the sub-soil, is raised severa
degrees by the suns rays, no longer coun
~teracted by the evaporating process-a
least, not to any such extent as before
is SO that the plants grow more luxuriantly
m mature more rapidly, and so are earle
N out Of danger from frost. And beside this
ID the constant passage of currents Of al
" through that portion of the drain not oceu
pied by water-and each drain shout,
i, have an opening at its head as well as q
to its mouths an additional source of feI
tility through the chemical combination
ii insures. It would be difficult to oveI
state the value, the Importance, the prof
Of Draining.
Many are accustomed TO say, :. TIL
Ie land needs no draining me aiming that
ii is not habitually too wet. But drainin
to proves as useful. if ii is not as imperativel
Nv necessary. on dry soils as on wet. o
,st dry lands it is required that the sub-soi
once broken up and pulverized, shall no
to by the settling Of moisture therein durin
rd The wet season, be hardened and rendere
or impervious again; these lands need 10 |
rendered porous and penetrable by roo
=, 10 a greater depth because Of their drynes
! J they need to be shielded from the perni
l. ious effects o constant evaporation in coo
i ing the soil. and thus retarding the grow
l. OF its plants. There is very much lar
not worth tilhng; but there is none tn,
), will justify tillage which would not rewal
=, Draining.
m. OF Irrigation. we in this country kno
ar very little by experience; but we are de
d tined soon to know more, Ind to be prof
in ed by our knowledge. True, there a
EN- lands that may be readily drained al
nj sub.soiled that canno so readily be ir
gated, owing to their elevation and a d
eep fcient supply of water. apprehen
ned however, thai these lands are moi 20
ri found in Indiana, nor in any other Prai
!, OF State, whose FIRST peculiarities that stri
1ey a stranger are a superabundance Of wa
ind in the rainy season and a scarcity there
sedin the dry. The time is at hand when y
,uld will here require extensive and power
in. pumping apparatus. if only to raise wa