Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-03-10
Proceedings of the Franklin
County Farmers Club.
SATURDAY, March 9TH, 1868.


Club met pursuant to adjournment.
Mr.. John II. Klippart said that the OBJ
feet of drainage was to relieve the soil of
; all surplus water. Water was naturally in
all clayey soils and kept the soil cold and
backward in the spring time made plow-
ing late. Under draining made the soil
loose and friable, and ready for the plow all
of three weeks earlier in the spring than
the undrained. Then in the fall the crops
in the drained soil was not injured by frost
rs early by some three weeks as that which
is not drained. Draining areates the soil
so that during drought the drained land
is moister than the undrained by reason of
capillary attraction. In heavy clays the
drains should be NO more than 16 feet apart
they may be further apart until we get to
sandy soils, where so to 100 feet apart may
answer all practical purposes. Drains
should be at least three feet deep, so as to
be beyond the range of frost. Tile drains
are more readily made everywhere tran
stone. or brush, or pole drains. In many
localities stone cannot be procured. then q
tile drain. if properly made, will last for
ages. Although drain is expensive at
first, yet have never met man who was
willing to admit that it did not pay him
well for investing his money in that kind
of Improvement.
A. B. Buttles said he was great advo-
prolonged the season from four to six
weeks. I'd. 1t made the ground drier in
wet season, and moister in dry season.
This seemed a paradox, but it was never
theless easily demonstrated as theory,
and he knew it was so, as matter OF TACT.
He had put in, in the last three years,
about 700 rods of tile drain, used horse
shoe, 21a feet deep, from 21a to -ods apart,
drained one-halt an acre OF Concord grapes
and made the crop fully one week earlier
than before or on undrained ground; thus
almost doubling the value OF the fruit in
the market; believed that in many cases
the increased value of the crop would pay
for the drainage in one year, and in any
case in two years. Mr.. Buttles stated that
DR.. Goodale>had drained his farm, east of
Columbus, more extensively probably than
any other man in the county, and he be-
lieved it one of the most profitable invest
ments he had ever made. By good culti-
vation. and especially by drainage, he had
succeeded in raising crops of corn
astonished the neighborhood. The drains
were several rods long, and while the rows
of corn most distant from the drains pro-
duced three bushels to the shock, they pro-
duced three and one half as they grew
nearer, and the few rows over, or in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the drains produced
and AZ bushels to the shock. The crop was
which was not under drained. A German
who lived near, who had been loaning his
surplus money at ten and twelve per cent.
on learing the effect of drainage on DIR.
Goodale's ground said that he should here
after invest his money in drains.
Mr.. McClelland said he and his sons had
done some draining in Lorain county for
the purpose of growing grapes. He found
tile drains to work admirably well; no dir
ficulty in the water getting into the drains
even in the most compact clay
He had tried it to his satisfaction and
knew, as he thought. what clay lands were,
and had no hesitation in recommending
tile drainage in such lands. The cost per
acre, to him. for thorough drainage, was
fifty-fiye dollars and eighty-eight cents.
This seemed high price, but then the ad-
ditional crop in two years would pay the
entire bill even Tor corn. He had very
poor field of compact clay land that had
never yielded more than twenty bushels OF
corn per acre. This land had become so
worn out that it was almost good for moth
ing. After tile draining he plowed and
subsoiled this field twenty-five inches
deep. Last year, though other lands suffer-
ed with the drouth, he had seventy BUSH
els of good corn per acre. He noticed
that after heavy rains, in about
two hours his drains commenced discharg-
ing the water and continued until the land
was maOe dry. he IOuuO nus uTdlHeu idilu
dryer in wet weather and more moist in
dry weather than lands undrained.
g. S. Innis said he had done considerable
of draining; mostly open drains, however.
These are Objectionable, as they fill up in
mellow soil and have to be cleaned out
every year. Every drain he ever dug had
paid him all his money back the first year
1t pays 100 per cent. right along every year
1t may seem strange to some that drainage
makes land dryer and more moist at the
same time. This is easily explained. The
atmosphere, as every one knows, carries
moisture in it; the warmer the weather the
more vapor: this rises to the colder re-
gions and is condensed and falls in rain
On this same principle the earth being
colder than the air, condenses the mois-
ture contained in it as the air circulates
through these drains. This moisture il
brought up by capillary attraction ane
serves to nourish the growing crop. So WI
are benefited in both wei and dry weather
by draining our lands.
The Club resolved to hold a special meet
ing next Saturday, March 18th, to exhibi
seed potatoes, for sale by sample and fo
the discussion of the subject generally, a
to the best time to plant, and their cultiva
ton. a--