Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-10-05


than from hundred acres left entirely
exposed. | would not have SO much land
uncovered from forest as l see around
here. Very much land now cleared ought
to be well planted to good choice timber,
and would yield a better product so, than
in anything else but timber. Much of
the land now devoted to very poor pastur-
ing, &C., ought to 60 right back into good
sound wood. Il hoHld be better for the
State. There would be a much better
supply of moisture, and consequently more
product for the fields. Underdraining
could then be applied to better advantage.
Your meadows would grow richer. l
have no doubt that Vermont will continue
to sell butter, cheese and meat, and con-
scquently she must look mainly to the en-.
il;hing of her grass lands.
IRRIGATION.
There is another topic to which | will
ask your attention, as intimately related
to the draining Of the lands--and that is
irrigation. 1t is by no means novelty
in agriculture. The benefit of irrigation
has been experienced in the valley of the
Nile FROM time irmemorial. To regulate
the supply Of water for the soil, SO as to
have it in abundance when and where it
IS needed-this is blessing which every
farmer can appreciate. There are large
tracts of land which lie undeveloped and
useless only because they lack system
Of irrigation.
Take our great State of California
From nine.tenths of the sill there you
cannot get crop of grain, unless you can
reap it in the winter. They fail to make
crop in extensive tracts of grain because
of the want of moisture. These lands
you must irrigate. The land must be sup
piled with wet. You have scarcely one
arabic acre without irrigation.
Salt Lake City is located in a countr
which is naturally almost u desert for the
want of moisture, and yet that place il
the garden Of the world. They have mag:
n6cent rows of shade trees, and fruit
trees in the greatest abundance. They
tlrn two small brooks or runs about the
streets, and supply every mans land by
turns.
We have no need here of such elaborate
systems of irrigation, but right here ii
Vermont there is not one farm where ir.
rigation may not be applied to profit. My
farm consists of hillside, with terrace
plain, near the upper side. There at the
upper edge of that terraces are three OIL
four living springs. These springs form
a little stream, that formerly cut its way
in gully, such as l see around here and
passed Tito the swamps below, doing Mt
good to any one. Now then, built ,
small dam, at the upper side Of the ter
race, near the beginning Of the stream
and SO had supply Of water under my
control. | then cut channel for it wher,
| wished it to 60 and when had occa
sion to irrigate my land, i stopped tn,
main channel and turned the water int
little sluices that l had provided for thu
purpose, and travelled the field, stampin!
a little gravel wherever l wished to turl
it, until had watered the whole 6eld.--
And that little beginning Of irrigation
that cost me nine'y dCllsrs, and ought no
to have cost more than Gftyj hss double,
the value Of three acres Of lard. Form
erly there would be green growth o
grass in spring.time, which usually dries
up in summer, but now that grass contin
ues to grow, through tie suhlncr' l hav
more than doubled the product of tina
land. If H
There is scarcely a farmer around her
but that might do better than have done
There are a thoSsand farms here wher
twenty acres might be irrigated with httl
more trouble than I took to irrigate three
There will be streams wherewith to irri
gate the lower lands Of most farms wit
but little expense. But in the future W
shall go beyond anything | have suggest
ed. The time is coming when you wi
dig reservoirs on your hill, which will is
tain q supply of water fordays Of droutf
BY exposure to the sun, the water wi
become warm and so more valuable fU
the land, and when you most need it, yo
Will have ample supplies of moisture fc
your lower lands. Then you will exper
ence the immense advantages of irrigation
In England they raise water by steal
power for irrigation and we shall come
dO'the same thing.
|
srEAM-powER FoR FARMING.
Ir'fact, ultimately we shall farm b
steam altogether. They find there, tn,
tie saihe mount Of power yielded by al
ialals can be obtained by steam at q ihuc