Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-04-08
2fsricuItural Department
I. D. r. COLLINS Editor.
DRAINING LAND.

report OF discussion by the kenSlng-
ton Farmers Club, on the subject of un-
derdraining in which Mr. Warren Brown
of Hampton Falls. remarked that the
subject of draining was of much impor-
lance. Said there were many ways to
drain an estate a heavy mortgage, bad
habits, and mismanagementw would gen
orally drain place pretty effectually.
But the most profitable way, and the
one he would recommend was to dig
and lay tile in wet land. Low lands
are rich from the wash of higher ground,
but will not produce proftably until the
water coming from springs can be car
ried off in drains. Open drains are the
simplest and the least satisfactory. He
had taken pains to draw in one hundred
loads to fill up single ditch. 1t is
much trouble to NOW ana rake about
open bitches. Then the banks will Of
ten cave in and stop the water, and
grass, weeds, sticks and leaves collect
and fill up the drain. Began with stone
drains, but they are not sure. Did not
think stone should be used where tile
can be- 6bsafned and If there is any
other place. where small stones can be
put to get them out of the way. Tile
takes less digging and will last life
time. Laid horseshoe tile IN 1852 and
they are open now. There is great ig-
norance respecting the Operations Of
tile He thought tile reduced or lower
ed the water level. and water comes up
and runs through the joints mostly.
though tile will fill if both ends are
stopped up tight Tarred paper, is used
to lay over the joints of tile to keep out
sand. Has used Is, 900 tiles. On three
acres of tiled land, he cut seven tons of
good hay in year, where the water
used to be over the tops of his boots,
and the land worth as near nothing as
could be,-a nice place for snakes and
frogs, and so near flied with old roots,
stumps and logs that his mani thought
the devil must have broke his apron
strings somewhere there Can now HOW
with horses on that piece as well as on
any place. Said thistles sometime come
in after draining but die out after a few
years. They leave the soil in good con-
dition, so that after all they are rather a
benefit to the land. Wet seasons kill out
thistles Drained land is porous and not
affected by drought. If outlet is good,
three or four inches fall to the hundred
feet will do, tho the more fall the better.
Has never used collar tile, but thinks
he should like them best some of them
are three feet long, other pieces are short
er, made of cement with collars to fit
round the joints to keep them in place.
Grasses will not live with their roots in
water any more than man with his feet
in water. Said Miller, of Portsmouth,
drained forty acres of the meanest kind
of wet land and made it like garden
made fortune out of it. Had some
faith in John Godfrey's way of finding
springs says Godfrey could tell where
to dig for springs, but could not tell ex-
actly how deep below the surface they
would be found. The hard-pan in land
if once dug through never becomes solid
again. A board may be laid under tile
| WHcIG ~ 10 Sole VI Sdhoy. w d oOIetu
over the outlet of tile, and even then
small frogs will sometimes get in and
have to be taken out. Where number
of branches meet put in a key, that the
expectations Of oseel -d;~isio.A- rAey 10
watched. Begin at the highest point to
lay tile. Tile may be used to drain Gel
lars. Two courses were put down in a
street in Exeter, one in each wheel track.
Worked we'll. Many took the trouble
to fill up wet places he thought in
most cases it would be better to lower
the water by draining. Many pieces of
land have wet corners or wet spots in
them that by draining can be made like
other parts, and may be worked on at
the same time. Drains laid three feet
deep may be thirty feet apart, and four
feet deep, fifty feet apart. Three-inch
tile is too large for branches ; like the
IL inch for many purposes. These
last cost SIS or $40 per thousand
three-inch tile cost $50 per thousand
they make better tile at Exeter than
formerly; three-inch tile will carry
twice as much water as two-inch.