Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-02-16
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been and will be the great means OF lmproY-
ing the farms of this country. In England,
Scotland, and on the continent of Europe,
these improvements have been carried out,
and have far exceeded all expectation, even
the most saDguine, of the farmer, and he has
received good return for his expenditure.
In the agricultural districts there, where
drainage was required IL has been done ;and
there are now but few farmers who have
not drained their lands.
The following is the method principally
used in England; but with their labor,
price of land, abundance of capital and
many other considerations in their favor,
differing so much from us that the adop-
tion of their method Of drainage by our farm
ers in this country, to their full extent,
may be considered as of doubtful utility.
1t is doubtful in the first place, whether the
generality of farmers have the capital to
spare to carry this out thoroughly and, in
the second place, IL is question whether
there may not be some other mode of drain
age more suitable to this country, and which
can be done at a much cheaper rate.
The English farmer commences with the
main ditch or drain, which is carried through
the lower end Of the field, and if the field
slopes from end to end uniformly, one of
these is found sufficient; this drain is dug
from three TO four inches deeper than the
small drains, and gradually falling toward
the end, where it emphes itself into brook,
river or hedge ditch, as may be convenient.
The small drains are dug Just wide enough
to admit two-and-a-half or four inch tile,
whichever is needed. The former, unless in
very wet ground, will be found of sufficient
diameter. The drains are then filled up,
and will, we must say, last forever. The
main ditch is mostly laid of six-inch tiles,
and occasionally with double row, but
this is only when there is beyond an average
of water flowing from the land
Another method in use there is the follow
| ing: When the small drains are dug out,
| fill them about foot or ten inches with
bushes well trodden down, and then place
some wheat straw on the top of them, fill
| ing up with the soil; this is not so last
| ing way as the former, though it answers
| while it lasts, and is much cheaper.
The following are two of the some expert
ments tried in this country:
First EIperiment-Our first experiment
was in q field of six acres; the surface was a
| dark loan, then heavy clay; we made the
ditch from eighteen TO twenty-four inches
wide at the top, slanting down to seven
inches at the bottom made the drain three
feet, and filed it with stones gathered off
the farm to the depth of about eighteen
! inches; we used small stone in this instance,
as we required the larger ones for building
| purposes. We then placed some turf, also a
| few bushes, over the stones, and filed in
with soil which was dug out. The main
drain we laid with a double row Of four and
six-inch pipes.
Second Erperiment-0ur second expert
ment was on a four-acre field, the fall of
which was on a gradual slope, and the soil
clay. We laid the main ditch through the
lowest ground, and the small drains parallel
to it, ten yards apart; the small drains were
| cut twenty two inches deep at the bottom
the loose dirt we removed with hoe which
left the bottom smooth and level for the tile.
The tiles were two and half inches in
diameter, with soles; after laying the tiles,
we threw in some clay, which we pressed
down tight with wooden rammer. Whel e
the small drains connected with the main,
we placed fiat stones over and under the
| tiles, to guard against any dirt getting into
| them. We used for the main ditch six inch
horse-sho tiles. The entire cost we found
to be from thirty to thirty-fve cents per rod.
AS to the result, our land is nearly double
in value to what it was before, and as pro-
ductive as we cen wish. We find the latter
| (although little more expensive at first) to
| be the best plan for the farmer, and in the
| end the cheapest. We often hear farmers
say, "As soon as / get some spare money, l
| shall commence draining;" but we know of
| no better way to get spare cash than to drain
| the land. Ten loads of manure we use on
drained land is as good as three times that
amount on wet land.
CULTURE OF THE TOMATO, AND PROFIT IN
ITS RAIsNG.--Those persons who are en-
gagged in cultivating the tomato are well
aware how necessary it is to have them in
market early in the season; delay Of ten
| days will make great difference in the
| profit per acre. As an instance, in the early
| part Of the tomato season they frequently
sell for from So to $4 per bushel, and fre.
quentIy, three weeks later, bring but thirty
seven to fifty cents per bushel. To insure
earliness, tomato plants are transplanted two
or three times before placing them in the
| field. The tomato is yearly gaining favor
among all classes. The quantity grown in
the vicinity of large cities is truly astonish-
| ipg. A gardener living few miles from New
| York, recently informed me that his crop
| last year was 5000 bushels, all of which he
sold to one house, for making catsup.
When tomatoes are grown for market the
soil and situation should be as favorable as
possible. They will do best on a rich sandy
| loan, in good mechanical condition, and
kept free from weeds. They should have q
southern or south eastern exposure, so that
they will have the advantage of the morning
and mid. day sun. If grown on hillside,
they will be protected from the north wind.
The time of transplanting to the field varies
in different localities We transplant in the
beginning of May, except cold weather or
late frosts continue; and if so, we plant late
in the same month. The ground is marked
the same as when furrowing for corn, care
being taken to keep the rows straight if
not SO arranged, it is more troublesome in
after cultivation. The plants should be set
| three and half feet apart each way, placing
them at right angles. 90. sitljI -.
Before removing the plants from the bed
water freely, so that ball of earth will ad-
here to the root of each plant. When this
method is pursued the plants are not checked
| by the removal.
SupposiDg the ground when marked to
| represent the squares of a checker-board q
man proceeds before the planter with a spade,
and makes a small hole on each intersection.
The planter then follows and sets one plant
in each hole. They should not be planted
deeper than they were in the bed-the man
then presses the earth around the roots o.
the plant with both hands, and so proceeds
until the piece is finished. Some tomato
growers place a forkful of manure in eacl
hole, and draw the earth around, making
slight elevation, and in this hill place tbl
plant. We pursued this plan for numbe
of years, but have abandoned it, finding th
other much better in good land: in poo
land tomatoes will not prove profitable. TIL,
culture of tomatoes does not differ from am
other crop; practically it means to keel
the ground clean and loose, both of whicl
can be accomplished by the use of the liftinJ
sub soil plow and horse. hoe.
The ground should be frequently disturbe,
when the vines are small. Late in th
season they will give shade enough to kee
the weeds down. When the fruit has sci
cut off about nine inches of the top of tn
plant they. will Tipen earlier and yield NOR
salable fruit than when not 30 treated
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