Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-02-06

even Of their ignorance. The art of remov-
ing superfluous water from land, must DO as
ancient rs the art Of cultivation and from
the time when Noah and his family anxious
ly watched the subsiding Of tho waters into
their appropriate channels, to the present, |
men must have felt the i'll effect Of too much
water, and adopted means more or less Of
fcctive, to remove it. No argument is nee
essary to convince rational men that our
swamps and boys must in some way be re-
ceived of their surplus water before they
can be rendered fit for cultivation.
Some plants grow in water, some oven
spring from the bottoms OF ponds and rivers,
but most plants useful to man and beast are
injured by being overlooked for short time,
and are injured by any stagnant water about
their roots. Why this is so, 1t is not easy to
explain. There are useful plants that thrive
best in water. Such is the cranberry. And
there are domestic fowls, such rs ducks and
geese; but we do not hence infer that our
hens and chickens would do better for daily
immersion. All lands then require drainage
that contain too much water, ut any season,
for the intended crops. Land may require
drainage for Indian corn that would not for
grass. Most of the cultivated grasses are
improved in quality and are not lossened in
quantity by the removal of stagnant water
in summer; but there are reasons for drain
age for hoed crops. which do not apply to
our moving fields.
In Vermont we have for few weeks q
perfect race with Nature to get our seeds
int tl,s,s laf, sa tn, Lot
land may be plowed and planted several
weeks earlier than land undrained, and this
additional time for preparation is of great
value to tho farmers. viii It pay to drain
that swamp OF yoursP If you have not n
place to spend your time and money to u
better advantage it will. This you must
decide for yourselves. 1t is y permanent
investment. II is not an operation like the
application of manure, which we should ex
pect to sec returned in the form of salable
crops in ono or two years, or three at most !;
not like labor applied in cultivated crops.
Then the question is not whether it will pay
in one or two years, but will it pay in long
runP Will it when completed return to the
farmer fair rate of interest for the money
expended? Will it be more profitable on
the whole than an investment in bank or
railroad stock, or the purchase of more land
Now it should be remembered that after
these swamps and boys are drained they
will be the best part of our farms, for they
will be peculiarlyladapted for grass, which is
king in Vermont
Now If / were to drain q swamp, how
would | do it? Economy and durability
are the main considerations. Tiles at n fair
price are said to combine these qualities
better than anything else. Providence has
literally supplied the greater part of Yer
mont with stones, which being both cheap
and durable, so far as tho material is con
cerned, may take the place of tiles. The
best stone drains are made by placing stone
ut each side of the ditch with larger one on
top. This is the only way to make stone
drain on level land or with gentle slope
that will not choke or fill up. If your
ground is on a steep side hill it may be
made by tipping small stones into the ditch,
but this is more liable to get filled up and
stop the water than the former one. have
one on my farm seventy five rods long, that
has been in use thirty years, built on the
former plan, which works well yet. think
it is as good rs it ever was.
have attempted to describe the under
drain, and will not let the subject pass by
without speaking OF the open drains which
are very much used, but at great loss to
the farmer. When open drains are used,
much water passes into them Immediately
from the surface, and carries with it ferti-
izing parts of the soil, while their beds are
often puddled by the running water, ard
baked by the heat of the sun, so that they
become water-tight, and do not admit water
, from tho lower parts Of the soil. The sides
of these drains are often covered with weeds
which spread their seeds through the whole
field And this kind of drains are great OBJ
! structions to tho proper cultivation OF tho
land, and also cause much waste OF room
AS we can never pillow very near them.
} There are none OF these objections to the
understands, as they arec ompletely coVere d
up, and do not at all interfere with the Gull
tivation of the surface. With most OF our
swamps we have dry knoll or u steep sido
hill that can be irrigated by these drains,
! which win in great measure pay the ex-
pense of the drains and we will reap n
double benefit for the money and labor spent.
S. Huse If there has been any one par
ticular thing that have desired information
upon in farming it is. how to treat wet land
do not think there are many that under
stand this very perfectly. We have great
! many places in our mowngs that are run
> cut on account of being too cold and wet.
If the amount of water contained In this
> land could be decreased in the right degree
y it would be the most productive part OF oul
a farm tor here is where we find tho greatest
natural nutriment for plants. There ar
three ways OF doing this. First, when thu
, soil is not too full of water, and there is a
I hardpan near the surface, It can be plowed
{ mixing the harder portions below with TN
muck, thus making better absorbent
a moisture. Another way is by covering thu
o surface with dirt or gravel to the depth OF
4 few inches or more which makes suitable
soil enough for plants to start in In resar
q TO ditching would recommend trying on'
piece first, and sec the results ; and II the.
? are satisfactory, then extend the practice
n if not, make the necessary Improvements
l have tried one very good and cheap wa
y of ditching, and that is by placing at tn
n bottom two boards or plank 7 by 8 inches wild
r nailed together like the letter V. hi
Q carries of the water we'll and will last
Il long time. This kind can be covered
d with dirt, as all bitches should be, or the
j. are generally more plague than profit
S. OVENS never have ditched much a
% my farm does not require 1t. Its situated
ID the hight of land between Stiles Pond an
Moose River / think moderately mols
land is tho most profitable of any for 1t
well adapted to grass, requires little care
!. and will never run out. Sometimes land