Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-03-31
Monthly Notes and Observations.
MARCH.

PR0zCiug October and November are
the proper months for the work we now
advise. But better late than never. Dry
land plants will not long abide wet feet,
some one has said, and there Is no axiom
more truthful and important in Horticul
ture
We trace large proportion Of the fail
ures and disappointments in our branch Of
rural art aud science, to superfuous wa
ter and the general Agriculturalst.
is equally interested with Us in this ques
ton
Much of our semipeaty. spongy prairie
soil, Is Immediately uuderlaid with an I'M
permeable clayey sub soil, without natural
uudervents for the water which falls upon
the surface a portion OF the snow and
rain water flows off along natural or acci-
dental surface drains, carrying untold
amounts of fertilzing matter into the
swamps and streams but large quauti-
ty is held by the soil, and can only pass
off by evaporation. and this is a slow pro
cess in Spring. and a cold one always
Our black prairie muck, which holds
water so we'll when saturated, has no great
power of absorbing moisture from the at
uosphere, when thoroughly dried up in
simmer 1t is. therefore, CeTY wet, in
wet season, and UcrV dry, in a dry one
Let us underdrain this soil, and by
"trenching" or trench-plowing it, mix the
clav of the sub soil with the sand and veg
etable residuum of the surface, and We
shall meet every indication.
\ deep loose soil-drained below-will
sift the rain water and retain its elements
of fertility. passing of the surplus as rap
idlv as it may come. and leaving little to
be got rid of by evaporation; and, there
fore. preserving the HEAT now lost to the
soil as the fertilizers contained IN the rain
water. A soil thus deepened and mixed
will also carry inseusible moisture longer,
and take more from the ever charged at
mosphere; aud, consequently. plants viii
run as little risk Of suffering from drouth,
as from tie soaking of their feet in cold
water
But to the process The best and prob
ably the cheapest underdrain, is the tile
drain. Draining tile are not very abgu-
dant, however, and we must try some 9th
er plan, where we intend to plant an or
chard this Spring.
Dig your bitches from three to four feet
{ D.
common spade will work See that your
descent for the water is perfect, and as
perfect and as uniform as possible, that
there may be no interruption to the on
ward flow Then if you have small stones
/ fill in with them. from twelve to eighteen
inches. as You may. Over this put a lay
er of fine straight brush where the depth
of the atone is not great, then a coat of
ripe slough glass or straw, or inverted
sods. and now fill up with earth The Wa
ter will find its way in and off fast enough
( if you have contriyed to keep the earth
from washing In aud ologging the drain.
before it has had time to consolidate itself
into perfect arch above the material at
/ the bottom.
BRUsH alone, of the depth advised for
the stone and finished in the same way
will make a good drain while it lasts and
three narrow plank laid in triangle
/ form a cheap drain where lumber is abun-
/ |dant. Brick drains have also been made,
/ but we do not advise them
/ Open drains are better than none and
/ in connection with sub soil or trench-plow-
ling answer good purpose, especially,
where the squares are divided into narrow
ridges BY back furrowing at right angles
with the deep blowing and keeping the
dead burrows clean and serviceable.
Open drains are rapidly cut with plow
and scraper: but beside the waste Of land
and slovenly appearance, open drains car
Irv of the soakings and the substance of
the soil. and the supply of ammonia con-
tanned in the snow aud rain water.
All know that sub soil plowing IS per
formed By running sort Of stout colter
like plow share without mold board) III
the bottom of an ordinary furrOw, break
ing up. but not inverting the sub-soll-
And where no mixing of the lower STRAIT
um with the surface soil is needed, this
mode of plowing is the one pursued.
In most of our prairie soil. over clay a
MIXTURE of the clay and other inorganic
substances below. with the upper slice con
tanning most Of the organic matter has
been found doubly servioeable. This l:
effected by TIE ENCHINGor TRENcH-PLowING
Trenching in the old way. is a slow auc
expensive, though very efficient process
A ditch is opened across one end of the
plat to be trenched, as deep as you Intend
to work then regular slices Of the proper
breadth are cut down with the spade, the
top slice being laid in the bottom Of the
ditch. and the lowest slice top Of the I'm
lished work The earth taken from The
first ditch is then wheeled round TO fill W
the last
In the most perfect preparation Of land
for garden and orchard purposes. the sol
is drained four and trenched three feet
But. in general, less depth will do very
well and on large scale trench-plowing
is the only feasible mode Of procedure, un
( til some one shall have invented a RoTARl
steam or other locomotive trenchers whicl
Hill yet be done