Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-11-02

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compact, except at their immediat
surface. and there To a much less ex
tent than shallow plowed lands. owe
which the rains pass.
Thirteenth.-The increased amour
Of crops consequent upon such prepa
ration. will enable the farmer 10 pa,
ten per cent, per annum. or more. up
on the cost OF the under-drains, fron
the increa ased ratio ofthe crops. beyon,
the expenses Of their productions.
This is question which has beef
practically setsled by every farme
who has tried the experiment; and II
England where the Government will
advance 70 any farmer the necessar,
amount. 10 under-drain his land. tax
ing mortgage for the amount. prac
tice has proved that the increased
crop consequent on understanding
has. in every case. enabled the Gar
mer to pay up the interest, and five
per cent more Of the principal. eacl
year. leaving his farm increased inval
ue at the end Of the term. more thar
equal TO the amount OF the mortgage
while the nation at large is enriched
not only TO the amount OF themortgag'
and interest paid. but by an increased
interest for all time. Private compa
nies. with large capitals. are now es
tablished in England. for loaning mon
cy on under-drain mortgages; and -
en- the owners OF hereditary estates
are permitted 10 mortgage for the pur'
pose OF undertaking only. practic,
having proved that the value Of tn,
estate Is always increased equal TO th,
expense Of under draining.
Fourteenth Soils so prepared viii
improve more rapidly than any others
even beyond the Improvement Of the
frst fewyears. whichgoes 10 reimburst
the original expense. and thus in per-
petuity, increase the value OF the land
more than the whole cost Of under
draining.
This will be readily understood,
from the fact that the organic matter
must be continually on the increase,
from the decomposition OF increased
quantities Of root in the soil. as nat.
ural consequence of increased crops,
while the preparation Of the inorganic
intcgrants Of the soil for plant use.
must bear a similar ratio; for upon an
increase OF carbon must be an increase
Of permeality TO atmosphere. with su-
perior conditions for all required chem
ical changes. And the experience oi
the Yestsr experimentors and others,
clearly shows, that with an equal
amount Of fertilizing material added 10
that whicE would not improve shall
low-plowed land. the under-drained
and sub-soiled portions are continu-
ally bsne6tting by increased capacity.
Sixteenth.-The net profit Of six
consecutive years. by under draining,
is double-the excess crops leading 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. II 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 surrounded the practicability OF
understanding. subsoil plowing. and
deep suriace.plowing, no longer exist
Drain tile are now made In all parts OF
the Union, and at moderate prices
the machines themselves for making
these tile. can be purchased for about
one hundred dollars, and wherever a
clay bank can be found. they may b.
put in operation. manufacturing many
thousands per day. Books have been
published. giving full and explicit In.
structions for understanding: and in
many localities the water discharged
from one field may be used TO inigate
another, which. If also under-drained.
may be materially benefited by such
practice. particularly when in per.
manent meadow. BY the use Of wa
ter rams, a portion Of the water may
be elevated for the use of stables. etc.
The old ,slyle sub.soil plow which
requires two or more yoke Of oxen TO
propcl II, has bcen replaced by the
new lifting sub-soll plow. which may
be run to any required depth. with \
single pair Of horses. mules, or oxen;
aud We have yet to find the soil where
this implement cannot be used. Those
who object TO elevating the subsoil. or
Ia localities where the sub-soil is Of a
kind that should not be raised--which
localities, by the by, are few and FAR
between---may. with the lifting plow,
disintegiate the sub-soil in its place.
without elovasing tall. Those also,
who object to running over the sur
iace-soil TO any greater depth than
they find a black mold. may disinte-
CRATE the sub-soil in place, and after
such disturbance they will soon find
the depth Of their surface-soil matcri-
ally increased. so Ms TO warrant them
in Increasing their blowing. without a
departure from their rule Of being gui-
ded in the depth Of plowing by the
color Of the soil. They may even dis
integrate on old pasture without turn
ing over the sod; for ms the plow is a
gradual inclined plane Of only one and
a half inches rise, and alike on both
its sides, II clevates the soil for that
distance. leaving II all free above its
sole. like the soil above q mole track.
without abrading the roots Of the
grass and the cut through which the
upright knives Of the plow travel. clo'
sing up behind 1t, leaves the whole
surface Of the field sub-soil. plowed.
elevated one or two inches, and all in
a softer condition Of the soil than from
ordinary blowing. while the surface
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