American citizen., 1875-04-24
Advantages Of Undertaking.

IT can be safely said that nine-tenths
of the land under cultivation would be
benefited by being underdrained. If all
land would not be sufficiently benefited
to pay for the required outlay, by the in
creased yield of crops, very much of it
would, and it could be cultivated with
much more satisfaction to the farmer.
There is but comparatively little land in
the West not underlaid with harupan,"
which seems to be wise provision of the
Great Designer, except where it ap-
proaches too near the surface. The
water supplying most OF the wells rests
upon it, and, though not ineXhaustible,
it acts as a reserve, the value OF which is
scarcely to be over-estimated in supply
ing moisture 10 the roots of growing
plants during our extreme droughts.
On account of this hard pan" we are
deprived of the springs which would
otherwise supply ali our streams. Under
the present condition of things the
ground soon fills with water, compelling
large surplus to run off, carrying large
quantities of fertilizing material, caus-
ing occasional great floods, while as a
rule the streams are dry. Judging from
our experience upon the broad, elevated
regions, the water lies nearer the surface
than upon the lower country. Even
along the lowlands contiguous to many
plies of water can only be had at great
depth. Such land will not perhaps be
sufficiently benefited to pay for the out
lay required to underdrain, but most
other lands will. About one year in
seven crops are largely damaged from
too much rain, and about another year in
the same period of time as much damage
is done by the drought, which damage is
often more the result of a previously
I...~ &c q, Nf thn dry
weather. How many farmers have
| thought of the indefinitely long drought
all cereal crops will stand, if the frost
leaves the ground in good condition in
the spring and the season remains COM
paratively dry all through the growing
period? In such case the roots follow
the moisture down several feet into the
subsoil.
Undertaking will Keep the ground in
such condition as to allow a sufficiently
deep penetration by the roots of plants
| that they will not be materially affected
by the meteorological conditions.
Soil remaining in saturated condition
for any great length Of time becomes
broken down in texture, leaving it in q
| hard, baked" condition easily affected
by drought. During wet seasons the
roots of plants remain very near the sur
face, so that but few dry days are re-
quired to ruin a crop.
With but few exceptional years early.
planted crops succeed the best-better in
yield and better in quality. But early
planting cannot always be done without
| artificial means being used to relieve the
land of the surplus water which falls
| during the verpal equinox. Well under
| draining a farm with tile, though the
outlay may be equal to or much above
the value of the land, will generally be
a safe investment and give perpetual
| income greater than that derived from
bonds or bank stocks. Much less time
will be lost in planting and in cultivatins
crops, and in their growth; fertiliZine
| properties brought down by the rains
are left in the soil when the water is al
| lowed to percolate through it in search
of the drains. We have not the leas
doubt that undertaking would increase
the average yield of farm crops at leas
% per cent, while in special cases il
would add hundred fold to the average
productiveness of the soil.
The only plausible objection which
can be adduced Is the cost, which vii
gradually disappear as an urgent demand
| may develop the resources of compcti
tive skill to supply the material ano
| machinery. We think the time will sOoI
come when spring wheat will be success
| fully raised in localities where now it i.
| IA very uncertain crop, by means of under
| draining and proper machinery to give il
IA short season of early cultivation be
tween the drills, which will prevent the
entire evaporation of the moisture from
the soil in the dry, hot latitudes before
| the grain natures.
| OF course there are many farms ant
| some sections of considerable eXtcn
| where underdrainage has been provided
| for by nature to marked degree. Th'
| owners of such lands have IA marked ad
vantage of which they should make full
| test.-Western Ruyat.
The exports of cottonseed oil il
1871 were 60 054 gallons; value, 5,54S
In 1872, 11S,509 gallons, valued at SG7,
SO. In 1873, 3Gl ,097 gallons, valued a
| S1S7, ,291 In 1874, 81, ,572 gallons, valued
at Si2, ,s95. The exports are chiefly to
| Great Britain, countries in the south O
Europe using this oil only when the oliv,
crop is short. The price in 1874 varied
from forty to sixty seven and one-hali
| cents per gallon, according to quality.
| "A little boy being asked ut school,
"What is the chief end of MANI" an
swered: "The end what's got the head
! on"