The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-03-15
Gheq1ttel.lIiqEtret
What 1 Know of Farming.
ny HORACE oREELEY.
Draining Generally.

6uUW1L llc RCueEuI COuCItSlUIS W MII'Cl
1t has led me:
l. While l doubt TINT there Is any LANE
above water TINT would not be improved
by good system Of underdrainS, an
sure that therGiS q great deal that eoult
not at present be drained to- profit
Forests, hill side pastures, and most dr.
gravelIy or sandy tracts, l place In Thu
category. Perhaps one.third of Nov
England, half the Middle States, ant
three tourths of the Mississippi Valley
may ultimately be drained with profit.
II. AHswamp lands without exception
nearly all dry soils, and majority Of thu
fiat or gently:rolling lands ofthis country
must eventually DO drained, II they arc tc
be titled with the best results. l dOubl
that there Is q garden on earth that would
not DO unless It already Inns beCn) improv'
cd by thorough undertaking.
III. The uses Of undCrlrNins arc many
and diverse. To carry of surplus water
though tho most obvious, stands by nc
means alone. /. Underdrlincd land may
be plOwcd and sOwcd considerably earlier
In spring than underlined soil Of like quail
ity. 2, Drained fields lose far less than
others of their fertility by washing, g.
They arc not so liable to bc gulliad by
sudden thaws or flooding rains. A.
Where field has been deeply SubsOlled
Lam confident that 1t will remain mellow
and pctmcabIe by roofs longer than IL un.
tdraiaed 0. Less water being evdp0rated
from drained than from underlined land,
tho soil will be warmer throughout the
growing season; hence, the crop will he
heavier, and will mature earlier. @. Be
ing more porous md less compact, think
tho soil Of u drained field retains more
moisture in season Of lrOutli, and Its
growing plants suffer loss tllCrcfronl, than
n II were undrained. In short, thor.
oughly believe in undertaking,
". Yet advise no man to run into
debt for draining, as can imagine a
mortgage on firm so heavy and pressing
us to be even u greater nuisance than stag
nant water in It's soil. Labor and tile are
dear with US; do not expect that either
will ever be so cheap here rs IN England
or Belgium. What could have each far
mer in moderate circumstances do Is 10
drain his acctteSt field next Fall-that Is,
after finishing lis haying and before cut
ting up. his C0rn-taking care to secure
abundant fall to carry off the water In
time oftlOOd and doing his work thorough.
ly. Having done this, let him subsoil
deeply, iertiIize amply; till carefully, and
witch the result. l think II will soon sat
isfy him that such draining pays.
Y. l do not insist on tile as making the
only good drain; but I have had no sue.
cess with any other. The uso Of stone, In
my opinion, Is only justified where the
field TO DO drained abounds in them and
no other use can be made Of them. To
make n good drain Of ordinary powders or
cobble-stOncS requires twice tho eXcava.
ton and involves twice the labor ncCcs.
sarily expended on o tile drain; and 1t Is
neither so effective nor so durable. Earth
will be carried by water into stone
drain; rats and other vermin will burr0w
in Il and dig ION cnlarge) holes thence to
the surface; In short, II Is not the thing.
Better drain with stone where they are Il
nuisance thnn not ut all; but predict that
you will dig them up after giving them IL
iair trial md rcpluce them with tile
In a wooden country, where tito were
scarce and dear, l should try draining
with slabs or cheap boards dressed to II
uniform width Of sixth or eight inches,
and laid In ditch dug with banks In
clincd or slopcd 10 the bottom, SO us to
form sort Of V; the lower edge OF the
two side slabs coming together at the bot.
tom, and third being laid firmly across
their upper, edges 50 Us to form perfect
cap or cover. In firm, hard soil, this
would prove III efficient drain, and, il
well made, would last twenty years.
Uniformity Of. temperature and Of mOls.
turc would keep tho slabs tOlcrably sound
for at least so long; and, If the top Of this
drain were two, feet below the surface,
no blowing or tramrling over II would
harm It.
VI. ,Asto draining by what Is called .
Mole PloF, which simply makes VI water.
way through tHcS sUbsOil ! at adcpth of
three feet or thGrcabOut, | llavC no nc.
Uualutanco with 1t but by hearsRy. II
seems to me morally impossible that
drains so made should not DO lower Ut
some points than at others, so rs 10 retain
their ill Of water instead Of carrying 1t RI.
pidly of; and an sure that blowing, or
even carting heavy loads over them, must
gradually choke and destroy them. Yet
this kind Of draining Is comparatively. So
cheap, and may, With n strong team, be
effected so rapidly, that I can account for
It's popularity, especially inprairie regions.
Where tho subsoil is rocky, It is 1mpracti-
cable; where it Is llRrd.pan, 1t must he
very difficult; whcrcit Is loose sand, II
cannot endure; but in ClAys or heavy
loans, it may, for q few years, rendor OK
cellent service. I wish the Heavy clays Of
Vermont, moro especially Of tho Cham.
plain basin, were well flrrOwcd or pierced
by even such drains; for ! am confident
that they would temporarily improve both
soil and crop; and, il they soon gave out,
they would probably 10 replaced by 9TH
Crs more durable, .......
Il shall not attempt TO give inslrpc.
tions in tlrain.making; but I urge every
novice in the art TO procure Warnings or
some other work on the subject and study
It carefully: then, If he can obtain Ut u
fair price the services Of an. Experienced
draincr, hire him 10 supervise tho work.
Ono point only do ! insist On-that Is,
draining into a main rather than an open
ditch or brook; for II Is difficult in this or
any harshcr climate TO prevent tho crllm.
bling Of your outlet tic by frost. Below
tho Potomac or the Arkansas, this may not
be apprchCndcd; and there It may be best
10 have your drains separately discharge
from roadside bank or into IN open ditch,
as they will thus inhalo moro air and thus
help lin Summer TO warm and mOistcn
tho soil above them; but in our climate l
believe It better to let your drains dis
charge into q covered main or mains rs
aforesaid. ~ t'.' 4.
a-r vs. KANSAS.
=, ,.S T.so..u U.o0a.