Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-03-22
A9rifnlt nral.
ImDOrtance of Draining.

The practice Of draining wet lands and
-vyarnus (wbcrc a superabundance of water
Iee on the surface or near the surface, does
not receive the attention that its Importance
demands in this country. | venture TO say
there are no improvements that can be made
N many farms in New England and else
where, that will add so much to the produc-
tive capacity Of the land and revenue to its
lwner as Undertaking, which has great
advantage over open drains, when outlets for
the drains can be secured TO advantage for
"a this case large fields can be relieved OF
surface water without the obstruction OF an
open drain 60 the plow, cart or wagon. On
farms where an abundance Of stones are con-
vcnient to the land to be drained, and which
the farmer wishes to rid his land of, they
may be used to advantage, but in the absence
sc stone, tiles are the cheapest, and make
the most durable drains. In this locality
he manufacturers sell them for twenty dol
lars per thousand for twO-inch, which Is
trife more than thirty cents per rod, deliv-
ered at the mandatory, and for three-lnch
tile the price is twenty-seven dollars per
thousand. Very little beside two and three
inch tile are used for common draining, the
three-inch for the main, and two-inch for the
.atterals Mr.. John Johnston, the grand
Id Scotch farmer of New York, we'll knew
what his tile would do, when his neighbors
,-ked him what he was laying his crockery
ln the ground for. He knew his land would
be improved from one to three hundred per
cent. I once herd traveller, Ga professional
gentleman of extensive observatory say that
N passing through England on all the great
thoroughlares he saw large piles of tile for
undertaking the soil.
England, Scotland and Ireland are far in
Idyance Of US in the art of draining, but
think the day is not far distant when the wet
lands of our farms will be thoroughly drained,
- as to produce an abundance of grass and
grain.
Mr.. Editor, give you little experience |
had some years since in draining. In the year
1850 | plOwed a lot Of clay loan soil with
heavy clay subsoil. There's were about five
acres, and it was plowed about the 10Th of
May, for corn. 1t rained almost daily for two
lr three weeks, which caused good stream
IF water TO run through a low part of the lot,
consisting Of about one acre. It was so wet
that | could not plant it till the seventh day
IF June. The corn was very light on the low
4 round. The next year it was sowed with
ats, and seeded with timothy and clover,
md on this acre of said land the crop was al
uost total failure. That same year, after
the oats were harvested, a ditch was dug from
TWO and half TO three feet deep through the
center Of the low land, it being about sixty
fifteen rods from the outlet, and the remain
ing distance was laid with two-inch tile. The
iollowing year it was moved, and the crop
On that underdrained was much the heaviest
IF the field, yielding two OF three tons per
scrc Of good sweet hay. The drain has
worked admirably to this day, the surface
water never standing on it more than twelve
To fifteen hours after heavy rain. | think
The increase of crops more than paid the ex
Tense in the two succeeding years. The past
Autumn was very favorable for draining, and
improved it by draining some swamp land
with tile, except some of it which was so
iuucky that | used round stone from the Deer
.icld River, the result of which cannot speak
BID now.
] would say to all farmers who are troubled
with a superabundance Of water, underdrain.
~ all means, If you can find a good outlet
.1r the water, and you will not be disap-
pointed, if you do the work thoroughly.
JAMES CHILDs.
Dc5rfeld, Mass, 1871.