Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-05-20
By our Agricultural koi'0i'
.ERICULTU KALI


.GRICULTURAL'
DRAINAGE.
7,horoneh drainage consists IN Femo''He -
e,on, between the particles Of SOIL anu
ne,e.s.rily in drying the particles ' Iss-sa
an soils in which the water Is retainer
Co bours after heavy rain fall are
hv draining This includes all clays' ie''-'-'N
-, and neatly soils unless overlying very
s,bs,ils. waring says All lands
II xbatever texture or kind, in when me spaces
S,,'.,,, t1s parficles Of soil are filed with
=. whether from rain or from sprngs')
.,;,hin less than four feet Of the surface OF the
ground. except during and Immediately ai'er
heavy rains, require draining.
e. The surface indications Of the necessity Tor
draining are variou7. If ploughed field show
81, mart or the whole Of its surface a constant
.r,a,ran,e Of dampness, indicating that as fast |
.s water is dried out from its upper parts /
more Is forced up from below, 50 that after
rain II i much longer than other lands IN |
assuming the light color Of dry earth, it unmis-
takably needs draining.
If the water Of heavy rains stand for some |
time on the surface or if water collects in the
furrow while ploughing draining is necessary
to bring the land to its full fertility" Other
indications may be observed in dry weather -
vide cracks IN the soil are caused by the drying
Of clays, which. by previous soaking have been
pasted together the curling Of corn often ind
Gates that in its early growth it has been pre-
vented by wet subs7l from sending down It's
roots below the reach Of the suns heat, where 1t
would find. even IL the dryest weather sufficient
moisture for a healthy growth any serere ell
feet Of drought, except on poor sand and gray
els, may be presumed to result from the same
cause and certain viryness Of grass, together
with messy or mouldy appearance OF the
ground, also indicate excessive moisture during
some period Of growth
sarRrH- Asp ErFE-rs oH WATER.
.. The sources Of WAGER IN the soil AS various
either it falls Iire.ty upon the land as ram
rises into it from underlying springs of
reaches it through, or over, adjacent land
The rain water belongs TO the field On
which it falls. and It would be an advantage II
it could all be made to pass down through the
first three or four feet of the sill, ami be re-
moved from below. Every drop Of IL is freight
ed with fertilfzinr mstters washed out from the
air. aud in It's descent through the GROUND
these are given up for tie use Of plants ana "
performs other important work among the Yese-
table and mineral parts Of the soil
The spring rrisr does not belong TO the
6eld.-not drop Of it.-and ought not t. be
allowed to show itself within the reach of the
roots Of ordinary plants. L; has fallen on other
land. and, measurably, has then done its APP
pointed work. AMI ought not to be alloTel TO
convert our soil into mere outlet passage for
its removal
The oo-e ,c1tcr,-thlt which scsks out
from adjoining land, is subject to ali the oaj'e-
tons hold that against spring water, and should
be rigiily excluded d" But the surface 'rais'
which comes over the SUFFICE Of higher ground
in the vicinity, should be allowed every opPor-
tunity. which is consistent with good husband
~. to work its slow course over our soil, mol
to run in such streams as Will cut away the sur
face, nor in such quantities as 70 make 'l'
ground inconyeniently wet bur to spread IL
self in benefcieut irrigation, and TO deposit tl'
fertilizing matters which it contains, then 10
descend through a well drained sa5-s.i!, TO
free outlet
From whatever source the water comes o.
cannot remain stagnant in any soil without per
manent injury to its fertility
WHERE IT WILL PAY To DRAIN
Of course there are some farms which sut
fer from too much water, which are not WORT
draining at present many more which, IL The
present price of frontier lands, are only worI
relieving Of the water which stand on the sur
face and not few on which the quantity o
stone to be removed suggests the pr Triety o
making wide bitches in which 20 hide them
(using the bitches, incidentally. as drains.
1t is nevertheless held by the advocates OF
thorough drainage that al lands where Indian
corn is worth fifty cents bushe on the iarm'
will pay for draining, in the greater ease with
which they may be TILED, the better season ~
which crops may be put in, the less amount Of
manure required to perfect the crops, the he1v-
err produced. and the more general adaptation Of
the lands to the better paving crops There care ~
evervtown in Vermont considerable tracts Of land
upon which only grass, or in ffc3ra5's seasons,
perhaps oats and wheat may be grown, which
If drained might be relied upon for regular and
valuable crops Of any kind adapted % the eli
mate
WHY DRAINS SOMETIMES FAIL.
Very many Of the attempts to drain lands il
this neighborhood have proven failures, TO d
considerable extent, by reason of the imperfee
manner in which the drains have been con
structed, resulting more generally from er
roneous ideas of the manner in which thel
act. Of course it cannot be expected that W
should point out all the causes Of failure bu
those of a more general nature are
lst Faulty engineering. BY this, we do 10
mean to insinuate that it Is necessary that
scientific engineer be employed 70 lay out simpi
drains, but that it is necessary that a few wei
..... -. D.. ,.... ,,+,l
- rnI.r,r,irs n,.li-s surface drain.
should run directly down the slopes, REGARDLESS
,;.,;,;.- 30 s,,rr,.e ,s,sbip, The Grad
- :. .,.l .t,,,,, l,e ,rif,rr, mp it sbopl
- a.. .,;..l.-,.o o- ,f.,. sbopl
-. 81. t.,..us =. ,-hs-. tho chan,
7..--.5. las. 81,
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