The American patriot., 1855-05-05

learn; are yet behind our British betheren, in
the most important rudiments Of gricultural
economy.
Now if it will pay, to run steam egines, to
irrigate dear lands, in country of hSh taxes,
Costing more for its rental, than our bst lands
in fee simple) dear coal, ETC., will it lot pay
here also, under such greater advantages.
A Kentucky planter, demonstrated by ,ctual
experiment, that an ordinary well, with poper
force pump and gearing for two mules, w,uld
very completely irrigate $50 acres of lane at
an expense Of but fifty cents an acre, per IN
mum, mere drop in the bucket, compared with
its immense returns. Now had he tried tn.
power of old Boreas, instead of the Donkeys,
would be found it cheaper still, for windmill,
unlike their assininities, the donkeys, he never
refuses to draw because he can't feel his oats.'
We would like the scholars Of the Institute,
cypher out (either by the rule of three or vul-
gar tractions), how much would be saved or
gained, (all the same to poor Richard, by in
vesting one hundred dollars, in good well,
pump, windmill and distributing hose, and the
differental loss, on two hundred acres cotton
patch for want Of water, that great re-vivifier
and refrigerator of 'dry and thirsty land"
especially at time like this, when everything
barring the (misnamed rivers, has ''tuk riz,"
and provisions as well as rain, ''stll keeps up,
and exhibits no signs ofa downward tendency"
DEEP PLoUGHING AND DROUGHT.
1t is a mistaken idea that shallow ploughing
is best in time Of drought, the deeper the
plough descends towards, and loosens the SUBJ
soil, the better viii the disintegrated soil, con.
dense by capillary attraction, the moisture con-
tanned in the atmosphere. In proof Of the at
mosph.re containing moisture, even on the hot
test day, there may be seen on the outside of
the pitcher Of ice water, large heads of water,
formed by the Offence in temperature between
the inside and the outside of the pitcher, and
not as is generally supposed, the result Of any
sweating process, through waterproof SUBJ
stance, like silver, or brittania metal. Fill
pitcher with hot water, the same result will en-
sue.
Deep ploughing should accompany irrigation.
In proof of the great value Of deep plough
ing as remedy against drought, all the vege-
tation grew rankly and luxuriant, upon the
farm of Prof Mapes, in New Jersey, while his
neighbors, who never permitted their ploughs
to descend lower than eight inches into the soil,
had, for the result of their labors, wilted veg
citation, dwindling in parched soil. His corn,
cerials, and root crops yielded nearly as largely
as in ordinary seasons Of rain and showers.
What could make so great difference in ad
joining fields, otherwise titled alike? nothing
but deeper ploughing! Prof Mapes, ploughs
deep with the ordinary, and then follows with
the sub-soil plough, stirring the earth to the
depth Of thirtytve inches, and then pulverises
the top soil thoroughly with four horse har-
row, until the whole field is brought to garden
tilth. This at the same time saves manure, for
the gaseous matters of the atmosphere, so es.
sential to vegetable life, to wit: carbon, nitro
gen, and ammonia, penetrates the sponge-like
soil, which absorbs and affinitizcs in its chem
ical components with that of these vast stores
of natures bounty, until seed and sunlight sets
them free again, to circle on through organic
life, back to inorganic matter
In the practise of that successful and pro-
gressive planter of West Feiciana, DR.. Wilcox,
we have another proof of the value of deep
ploughing and thorough tillage, as the best and
most profitable Of all farming So far indeed,
have the advocates of deep ploughing met with
success as to induce them to substitute the SUBJ
soil plough, for high manuring
Now we have diverged from the path we had
6lazed out, at the outset of this article, in or
der to suggest few sde-ideas on drought rem
sdies Now for the question in hand:
What causes drought? Undoubtedly, the
disturbance caused by the clearing
away of the old domain of woods and forests,
those great reservoirs of water and electricity.
AS the woods are cleared away, by fire and
The axe. the rain water no longer held in sus-
pension, and poured out measurably upon the
sarth's surface, sinks through the soil to the
rocky beds below, making it a growing necces-
sity, that we should sink our wells, deeper and
deeper in search of the truant water, until it
would seem that Artesian wells will be our last
resource In West Feliciana, water is hauled
several miles from the Bayou Sara, to keep the
cattle alive, last summers drought in the North
the hauling of water, 10 miles for the