The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-08-16
The Effects of Draining.

!. It causes tie dir to lie rcneased.-It is be-
'lieved that the admission CT frequently renew
ed supplies of air into the soil is favorable to
its fertility This the descent of the rain pro-
notes. When it falls upon the soil it makes
its way Into the pores aud 6sures, expeiling Of
course the air which previously filed them
When the rain ceases the water runs off by the
drains; and as it leaves the pores of the soil
empty above it, the air follows, and fills with
a renewed supply the numerous cavities from
which the descent of the rains had driven IT,
Where land remains full Of water, no such re.
newal of air can take place.
2. IL soarnas The under SoiL-As the rain falls
through the air, it acquires the temperature of
the atmosphere. II this be higher than that of
the surface soil, the latter is warmed by it; and
the rains he copiouS, and sink easily into the
subsoil, they will carry this warmth with them
to the depth of the drains. Thus the under
soil in well. drained land is not only warmer,
because the evaporation is less, but because the
rains in tse summer season actually bring
down warmth from. the heavens to add to their
natural heat.
3. II cquaHses tile Temperature Of tile Sill
during tie Season Of GrowM.-The sun beats
upon the surface of the soil, and gradually
warns it. Yet, even in summer, this great
heat descends only few inches beneath the
surface. But when the rain falls upon the
warm surface, and finds an easy descent as it
does in open soils, it becomes itself warmer,
and carries its heat down to the under soil.
Then the roots of plants are warmed and gen.
era growth is stimulated. -
Pr Il C,J,LJo SuL.J,n,oo IN
Roots of PLunts s-When rain falls upon heavy
underdrained land, or upon any land into which
it does not readily sink it runs over the sur
face, lissolves any soluble matter it-may meet
with, and carries it to the nearest ditch or
brook. Rain thus robs and impoverIshes such
land
5. II roshes Nozious Matters from the under
SviL-In the subsoil, beyond the reach OF the air,
substances are apt to collect, especially in red
colored soils, which are injurious to the roots
of plants. These the descent of the rain alters
in part and makes wholesome, and in part
washes out. The plough may then safely be
trusted deeper, aud the roots Of plants may
descend in search of food where they would
previously have been destroyed.
6. IL brings dorm FertiHzing !SuJstancestrom
the e1ir.-Besides the rain never dcscends
empty handed. They constantly bear with
them gifts, not only of moisture to the parched
herbage, but Of organic and saline food, by
which its growth is promoted. Ammonia and
nitric acid, together with the many exhaIations
which are daily rising from the earths surface,
come down in the rains; common salt, gypsum,
and other saline substances derived from the
sea, are rarely wanting; and thus the constant
descent from the heavens may well be suppoS-
ed to counterbalance the occasional washings
from the earth.
7. Much of the rain is Ecaporated.-And,
lastly, in answer to this objection, it is of i'm
portlncc to state, that in our climate very
large proportion of the rain that fall does not
sink through the soil, even where there are
drains beneath, hut rises again into the air, III
the form Of watery vapor. Experiments in
Manchester have shown, that Of 81 inches of
rain which fell there in year, p are evapor-
ated while in Yorkshire, of "a l-2 inches OF
rain which fell, only five inches run off through
pipes laid at the depth OF 2 feet 9 inches, the
rest being evap"rated. There is little cause,
therefore, for the lear expressed by some that
the draining of the land will cause the fertility
in any petceptible degree to diminish, in con-
sequence of the washing hurttul substances out
of it; but, in general, the s"il will have extract
cd from the water which filters through it, all
the valuable matter it holds in solution, before
it has reached the depth Of a three feet dr1n.
PRor. JOHNSTON.