Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-09-11
Ohe farmer.
Reolaimisg Boys and swamps'

ne
,hire, in reply to correspondent OF the Me'o
Enqldnd Farmer, contains many excelient
AZ cSest;ops, and will be valuable to those who
nave swamp lands to reclaim. The rule given
for the sides of the open bitches, at 40 degrees
makes these sides too steep-eng'ncers alio"
, foot and a halt horizontal measure Tor loot
rise, which is as steep as earth will remain
without crumbling or sliding down. An open
ditch foot deep must be therefore three ,ee'
vide ono two feet deep, six ieet wide, ana "a IN
like proportion for any other depth ms
shows the great waste Of land occasoneu W
omen drains, and the economy OF unoer ufa'n-
ing.-EDs. Go. GENT .a
/ have reclaimed several meadows anu
have never yet attacked one that was not
worth Yha experiment. | have heard OF
svamns that would not produce good crops,
after being we'll drained, but never saw, ana
nav Nova axnect to see, one in New Hampshire.
Everv.hody knows, or may know on slight re-
aact;on, that the richest part OF the SOIL on the
hills is constantly working into the low places;
This process has gone on Tor tnousanus VI
Years and know Of no compromising process
which returns again this rich deposit 10 INC
hills. .hs. .ha
These low places, the swamps., are tnen inc
uo.u stors.horses Of Nature for her treasures
of Srt;l;tv. So theory teaches, and. expert
ence vcri6es the theory. By the same law OF
prav;tstion, the water as well as the -, sou
{cft in these valleys, and so we usually nnu
tbam too wet for our cultivated crops ivy
things then are to be done, before upland
crons of grass, or grain. or ROOTS can 'hfiSe
upon them. The first is c.uu
DRA1NINa.-Examin your ground oa'e'uiy
at tho outset, aud be sure that you know
whence the water comes that makes tno lana
to wet. Does it rain down upon the nils anu
run into the swamp, and SO food 1t from want
Of an outlet2 or does some stream back up
mon II from below, raised by dam, when
some factory or grist mill has right to keep
I'm or does it flow into the land from springs
which burst up around the edges or perhaps
in the midst Of it, at the bottom Ii inc
water runs in on the open surface, the obvl'
Qua mode of drying the swamp is to make
omen bitches that shall cut it Oft before 1t
reaches the low land. or if this cannot be done'
to collect it at the outside, in open d''cn n.,
and conduct it off through the lot as speedily
.as possible. IF you have back'wa'er 'foul u
dam to contend with, perhaps your pest couiFe
to sell out and move off, tor IN many 'och' H.
vestioat;ous which | have witnessed, have
never been able to sec any limit to the ehoct
OF back-water. L.,
It note only rises to the height of the dam,
but is drawn by capillary attraction as well
as piled up by the retardat'on OF the s't0s'i'
50 that nothing but actual experiment can
determine where the effect OF the dam eease,'
Besides the effect of the back-water, Whlch
of course produces stangnant water IN the
oround is far worse than that OF running
water In nine cases out Of ten, however,
meadows in this part of the country are rem
derd too wet by spring water which Is ram
falling on higher land and passing down into
the earth till it finds water-bearing stratum
freoueutly clay or rock, but sometimes COM
pact gravel, upon which it runs until 1t comes {,
ont at the surface or oozes through the SOIL
rendering it cold and barren. l have at this
time drain on open land which has peen
moved eight years, and which have p'o~eo
since hayiug, to be laid down with grass SEED
and turnips, which gives good illustration
of the operation Of these cold springs.
noticed a wet place after blowing, and had
hole dug with spade to ascertain the cause
This rs a spot on hillside, perhaps hfteef
feet above the level Of the stream which runs
along twenty rods below. First came aooa
foot of dark soil, then two or three incIc'
of white compact sand, then about SIX inches
ot red eruyel, and under this down to th'
centre for aught I know, solid clay Thu
water filed the hole in an hour or two, Il
within foot of the surface of the ground
and this in dry time. Water cannot pas
through clay, but runs on the top OF IT. IN thu
ground. just as on the surface, only slower
and breaking out thus on the hli-sldcs, ant
very often at the edge Of a swamp. browns al
vegetation, without showing itself at all Oh
the top of the soil. Usually water How
into swamp only from one side. The sub
stratum of clay, or other impervious sab
stance, frequently has dip or inclination
much more regular than the visible surface
and carries the water in one direction, as fol
instance on my farm, from north to SOUTH
To intercept and cut off this water. cut
ditch across the course Of it, deep enough to
cut into the stratum on which the water runs
few inches, otherwise the water will run
under the bottom of the ditch, and come Out
as before.
For want of stones, have made use Of
6ya4Sh for underdrains, covering it with turf
These answer good purpose for eight or ter
years. am now using strips OF pine boards
which happen to have on hand sawed SIX In
ohos wide. Two of these nail together, and
lay the edges upon old boards in the bottom OF
the drain, forming triangular opening on
this, I place swamp hay, bushes or tan, and
cover up. Inwet land | find bushes that were
laid eight years ago, quite sound, SO that
think pine boards will last many years.
This seems shiftless way of doing the bust.
ness, hut my farm affords no stones, and VIC
have not arrived at the dignity Of drain tiles
yet, and on the whole we may say OF it, as
woman said of her husband who was nota pat
torn of good morals, "He is no great of hus
band, but he ism dreadful sight better than
nome" If open drains are used, cut tn
drains at an angle of forty-6ve degrees, so tina
they will not fall H. II undsrdrains are used
cutthem nearly perpendicular, and as marrow
as ia convenient.
KILLINa.OUT THE WILD GRAss.-The chca
pest, quickest and best method of killiug-ou
the bad grasses, is to plov the land. If tn
mud is very deep. this perhaps can not b
he done, but if there is not more than foo
or eighteen inches of mud, land ought to b
drained enough, SO that..the pillow can be usec
Hauling sand or gravel upon swamp t
form soil, on top of the wild grass, is a
endless task. Itrequires about one hundre
ox.ca IT lnada of earIn 10 cover An acra ON