The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-03-25
Advertising Rates per Square,
DRAINING OF FARMS.
when Needed and How Done.

Inc American 1uotltuto uAoio
Club, at its meeting on the Sth inst,
discussed sundry subjects of no general
Importance, except that of draining
which we find as much more concisely
presented by Horace Greeley, in his last
article on "What Know of Farming
that we copy it in preference to the ran
dom remarks of members:
Having narrated my own experience
in draining with entire unreserve,
here submit the general conclusions 10
which it has led me:
l. While / doubt that there is dny
land above water that would not be i'm
proved by good system of underdrains,
/ am sure that there is q great deal
that could not at present be drained to
profit. Forests, hillside pastures, and
most dry gravelly or sandy tracts, l
place in this category. Perhaps one
third of New England, half the Middle
States, and tbree-fourths of the Missis-
sippi Valley, may. ultimately be drained
with profit.
II. All swamp lands without excep-
ton, nearly all dry soils, and majority
of the fat or gently rolling lands of this
country, must eventually be drained, If
they are TO be titled with the best le-
sulis. doubt that there is 4 garden on
earth that would not be (unless it al
ready has been) improved by thorough
Undertaking.
iii. The uses of underdraips are many
and diverse. To carry off surplus water,
though the nest obvious, stands by no
means alone. |. Underdrained land
NAV be pillow ed and sowsd considerably
earlier in spring than underdralned soil
of like quality. 2. Drained fields lose
far less than others of their fertility by
washing. '3. They are not 50 liable to
be quilted by sudden thaws or flooding
rains. 4. Where a field has been deeply
subsoiled, | am confident that it will
remain mellow and permeable by roots
longer than if undraine1. 5. Less water
being evaporated from drained than
from undrained land, the soil will be
warmer throughout the growing season.;
hence, the crop will he heavier, and will
mature earlier. 6. Being more porous
and less compact, think the soil Of a
drained field retains more moisture in q
season Of drOuth, and its growing plants
suffer less therefrom, than if II were
uudrained. In short, i thoroughly be-
lieve in underdraiHing.
". Yet / advise no man 10 run into
debt for draining, as l can imagine a
mortgage on farm so heavy and press
ing as TO be even greater NUISANCE
than stagnaut water in its soil. Labor
and tile arc dear with us; | do not eX
poet that either will ever be so cheap
here as in England or Belgium What
/ WOuld have each farmer in moderate
circumstances do is to drain his trettest
field next fall-tbat is, after finishing
his haying and before cutting his corn
taking care to secure abundant fall to
carry off the water in time of food, and
doing his work thoroughly. Having
done this, let him subsoil deeply, fertil-
ize amply, till carefully, and watch the
result. l think it will soon satisfy him
that such draining pays.
V. do not insist on tile as making
the only good drain; but have had no
success with any other. The use of
stone, in my opinion, is only justified
where the field to be braided abounds
in them and no other use can be made
of them. To make good drain with
ordinary powders or cobble-stones re-
quires twioe the excavation and in
wolves twice the labor necessarily ex-
pended on a tile drain; and it is neither
so effective nor durable. Earth will be
carried by water into q stone drain;
rats and other Termin will burrOw in it
and dig (Or enlarge) holes thence to the
surface; in short, it is not the thing.
Better drain with stone where they are
a nuisance than not at all; but / pre-
dict that you will dig them up after
giving them n fair trial and
replace Them with tile. In q
wooden country, where tile were
scarce and dear, should try draining
with slabs or cheap boards dressed to a
uniform width of six or eight inches,
and laid in ditch dug with banks in
elined or sloped to the bottom, so as to
form a sort of V; the lower edge of the
two side-slabs coming together at the
bottom, and third being laid firmly
across their upper edges so as to form a
perfect cap or cover. In n firm, hard
soil, this would prove an efficient drain,
and, If we'll made, would last twenty
years Uniformity of temperature and
of moisture would keep the slabs toler-
ably sound for at least 50 long; and, if
the top of this drain were two feet be-
low the surface, no blowing or tramp
ing over it would harm ii.
vi. As to draining by what is called
the Mole Plow, which simply makes a
waterway through the subsoil at q
depth of three feet or thereabou6s /
have no acquaintance with it but by
hearsay. 1t seems to me morally i'm
possible that drains so made should not
be lower at some points than at Others.
so as to retain their fill Of water instead
of carrying il rapidly off; and am 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 strong
team, be effected so rapidly, that
can account fer its popular
ity, especially in prairie regions. Where
the subsoil is rocky, it is impracticable;
where it is hard pan, it must be very
difficult; whereit is loose sand, it can
not endurei but in clays or heavy loans,
1t may, for few years, render excellent
service. wish the heavy clays of Yer
mont, more especially of the Champlain
basin, were all furrowed or pierced by
even such drains; for am confident
that they would temporarily improve
both soil and crop; and if they soon
gave out, they would probably be re-
placed by others more durable.
No HUMBUG.-We do not wish to in
farm von- that nr .Wondorfrl m -.