The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-10-24
the lard, more than the whole cost of under

lily on the increase from the decomposition of
Increased quantities of root in the soil, as o
natural consequence of increased crops, while
the preparation of the inorganic integrants of
the soil for plant ase, must bear similar ratio;
for upon an increase of carbon must be an
increase Of permeability to atmosphere, with
superior conditions for all required chemical
Echanges. And the experience of the Yester
experimentors and others clearly shows, that
with an equal amount of fertihzng material
added to that which would not improve shsl.
llow-plowed land, the under-drained and SUBJ
soiled portions are continually beneftting by
increased capacity.
| SIXTEENTH.-The net profit of six consecu-
tive years, by under draining, is double-the
excess crops lending no portion of the expenses
to bear upon them other than in their harvest,
from increased quantity.
This is practical question which has been
clearly settled by all those who have owned
farms drained twenty years ago. 1t should be
borne in mind that but few crops give net
profit to the grower, of more than twenty per.
cent. of their gross amount; therefore, if the
crop be increased twenty per cent, the profit
is doubled; and we know of many instances
where the increase has been fifty per cent, and
in some cases one hundred per cent.
The difficulties which few years ago sur
rounded the practicability of under draining,
Isubsoil plowing and deep surface plowing, no
longer exist. Drain tile are now made in all
parts of the Union, and at moderate price,
The machines themselves for making these tile,
can be purchased for about one hundred dollars
and wherever clay bank can be found, they
may be put in operation, manufacturing many
thousand per day Books have been publish
ed, giving full and explicit instructions for un-
der draining; and in many localities the water
discharged from, one field may be used to
irrigate another, which if also under drained,
may be materially benefited by such practice.
particularly when in permanent meadow. BY
the use of water rams, a portion of the water
may be elevated for the use of stable; etc.
The old style subsoil plow, which requires
two Or more yoke of oxen to propel it, has
been replaced by the new lifting subsoil plow,
which may be run to any required depth, with
a single pair of horses, mules or oxen; and we
have yet to find the soil where this implement.
cannot be used. Those who object to elevat-
ing the subsoil, or in localities where the SUBJ
soil is of kind that should not be raised
which localities by the by are few and far be-
tween--nlay with the lifting plow, disinteg-
rate the subsoil in its place, without elevating
it all. Those also, who object to running over
the surface soil to any greater depth than they
find black mold, may disintegrate the SUBJ
soil in place. and after such disturbance they
will soon find the depth of their surface soil
materially increased so as to warrant them In
increasing their plowing, without departure
from their rule of being guided in the depth Of
plowing by the depth of the soil. They may
even disintegrate an old pasture without turning
over the sod; for as this plow is gradual in
c6ned plane of only one and half inches rise
and alike on both its sides, it elevates the soil
for that distance, leaving it all free above its
sole, like the soil above mole track, without
abrading the roots of the grass; and the cut
through which the upright knives of the plow
travel, closing up behind it, leaves the whole
surface of the field subsoil plowed, elevated
one or two inches, and all in a softer condition
Of the soil than from ordinary plowing, while
the surface grass remains undisturbed; each
root, however, having the soil loosened about
it, giving free entrance for air and moisture, SO
that the dead roots may decay, and those
which are in a growing condition take on new
vigor. One cut of this plow through the mid
lie of an old pasture, will i'll ten days show
green strip, surprising the rest of the field in
Eerdure, and of about four feet wide. e
Such plow may follow an ordinary surface
plow, propelled by seperate team, with its
beam lying in the bottom of the furrow made
by the surfaee-plow, under cutting the land
side in its travel, and causing the furrow to
be lifted during its passage along beneath it, so
Is to soften and divide it, and render the next
surface plow cut capable of being performed
With much less force. But this tool is ofcom-
oaratiyely little use in soils requiring under
draining as excess of water will settle the sols
however well disintergrated.
Prof Mapes at this point produced small
BRASS model of this plow, in illustration of the
point he was discussing. He also exhibited the
model of plow which he thought would work
with less resistance than any other. It.embo-
lied principle which he thought deserved at
Lention.
He concluded this part of his address by re-
terating the importance of drainage, which, he
sad was not to let water out, but to let air in.
He then took a carrot laying on the stand,
and remarked that it had been web ascertained
hat a bushel of carrots mixed with bushel
Of oats. made better and more neurishiHg food
for horses than two bushels of oats The oats,
he said, was not all appropriately part of it
passed through the digestive apparatus with
out yielding its nutriment The carrot pre-
vented this waste. This is the explanation ne
gave about it. If you put an apple IN a tub OF
water a boy may bob at it for an hour without
being able to bite it. 1t is not hxed: put
placed in a tub of jelly, that will hold 1t hrmiy
enouob to enable him to get hold of it. Now
the carrot contains an acid, which acting on
certain substances gelatimzes, them, that is
makes IT like Jelly The oat is one Of them.
In its ordinary condition the perisaltic motion
Of the intestines prevents its being taken hold
Of by the digestive apparatus properly, and
portion of nutriment is lost. But the acid of
the carrot by 'jellyfying" it, so fixes it that it
can be entirely absorbed by the system. He