Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-21
farmsr's department.
Draining wet Lands.

Before many years there will he thousands
of acres pierced with drains. But the induce.
ments to it which make it wise IL England
aud New England do not yet, generally, exist
In the west. The expense of draining one acre
would buy two. Many farmers have already
more arabic land than they can till to advan-
tage. Land redeemed from slough would not
pay for itself in many years.
But although general introduction Of drain
ing would not be wise, there are many cases in
which to limited extent, it should be practic-
ed Lands lying near to cities are sufficiently
valuable, and the market for farming products
sure enough to justify the recaiming of wet
pieces Of land. On small farms of forty and
eighty acres, surrounded by high-priced lands.
not easily procured for enlarging his farm if the
owner should wish it draining might be employ
ed with advantage. A man with a smaAfarm
can afford expenses for high cultivation which
would break q large farmer.
Some times large meadow or arabic field
IL marred by wet slash through the middle of
il a farmer would not begrudge the labor of
draining for the sake of having bis favorite
field without a blemish. Some times farms are
intersected by vat lands, which make the pas
sage from one part of the farm to another
ulUCulG at MI IltesJ dDu dlulOSG iu1DHSSdUle NJ
at some seasons of the year. Draining might
be resorted to in snch case, no so much for
the sake of the land reclaimed, as for the con-
venieucc Of the whole farm.
We know pieces of wet, peaty meadow land
lying close by the farmhouse, the only draw
back to the beauty Of the place. A good far
mer would wish to recover such spot for the
same reason that he would prefer handsome
house to homely one-a fine horse over
coarse looking animal-a slightly fence, rather
than clumsy one. There is much string land
but high, fiat, and cold which is wet
through all the spring. resisting seed till long
efter other portions of the farm are at work,
and which would but for this backwa-dnesS,
be regarded as the best land If without great
expense, such land could be cured, for farmers
would mind the trouble or labor
There are three kinds of draining which may
be employed according to circumstances-sub-
soil-plowing, furrow-draning and ditch drain
ing When a soil is underbound by a compact,
mpervious SubS0I all the rain or melting snow
is retained in the soil until it can erhaLe and
evaporate For the subsol acts like water
tight floor, CT the bottom of tub Subsoil-
plowing by thoroughly working through this
under crust, gives a downward passage to the
moisture water sinks asst does in sandy loans
Nor will such treatment be less useful to pre-
vent the injury of summer drought; for the
depth of soil affords a harbor for roots from
whence they can draw moisture when the top
soil is dry as ashes.
But there is a limit put to this treatment by
the amount Of clay contained iu the subsoil-
1t has been experimentaIly aScertained in Eng
land, that when the soil contains as high as
forty-three per cent of alumina (clay )subsoi
plowing is useless, because the clay soon Goa
lesocs and is as imperVious as ever. In such
cases. if the land has a slight inclination in any
direction, furrow draining may. in some meas
ure, relieve it. The ground is maj ked out i,
lands as for sowing grain and plowed with
ck-furrows. throwing the earth toward the
centre. The rain and snow will run to either
side, and flow off by the channels left between
each strip. This treatment does not relieve
the land, to any great extent of water contain
ed in it, but acts as preventive, by carrying
off the rain and snow before they are absorb
ed.-H. W. Beecher. IN Plain and Pleasan
Talk about Fruits Flo1rers, and Farming