Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-06-25
What We saw.

This is what we saw Yesterday piece
OF land belonging to neighbor, which
was cleared more than scvcnty-five years
ago, which has always been wet, WA
ter standing on it in spots all the summer
through. This would bear scarcely any
thiug-a few brakes and fine frogs hair"
us it is most happily called. Two years
ago the sud neighbor concluded he would
take away SOME of the water, and noticing
a spring at the upper part of the field,
thought he would make Il beginning by
leading that away first, and dug drain
twenty-five rods long and one lateral five
long. and laid in a stone drain from stones
ON the field. which were handy. and
which he wished to get of out of sight
lie could not tell just what this drain OF
thirty rods cost, expecting it would be
only 4 beginnings main for series of
laterals which he expected to be obliged
to put in. But to his surprise and great
satisfaction that one drain did the whole
business, and that one spring had for sew
enty-tvc years and more kept nearly bar
zen about two acres of most excellent land,
which last year gave II tirSt-rate crop Of
oats, and the day we saw it, the Goth, the
herds grass was Standing clean and hand
some, knee high, and will give over two
tons per acre Of as good quality of hay as
was ever put under shingles.
Joining these two acres were about two
acres more, in like condition, only worse.
He told us that in haying time he had to
20 over it, because it looked so to leave
it uncut, but that he never got enough to
pay for cutting. Half a load of poor stuff
good for little else than bedding, some Of
it carried out Of places so wet and miry
that the cattle could not be driven there,
was all there vas to pay for the labor of
getting it, the use of the land, taxes, etc.
These four acres are situated at the foot
Of II hill, and so lying that by system of
lHterals the last described two acres could
be readily drained into the stone drain al
ready laid.
If II man dips into draining at all, he is
sure of taking the draining fever, which
which will be as sure of "run ~ rs the
measles in family of ten children. So
he, having fired two acres, must needs
tackle the rest. With eight days works,
forty rods of tile were laid, which cost at
the railroad station nine dollars, making
the entire cost of draining the last two
acres about twenty dollars. That work
WAS done last fall, and now the plat is
planted with corn and potatoes, and he
estimates that the increase in yield this
yaar will pay all lie has spent in money
and labor on the entire lot, while the i'm
provemcnt will be permanent, and four
acres of the best land on his farm will be
brought into profitable cultivation which
might, under some circumstances, change
the balance from losing to profitable farm
inc. Nor is this a single case.
This morning neighbor came to see
about some repairs for his moving ma.
chine, THE grass on the swamp lot i,
lodging now, and Monday | must cut it
il it's good weather." Ever since we can
remember, that swamp was of little value
except to gather cowslips, which was
made dreaded spot by poison ivy. Forty
rods of drain have converted it into the
best piece on the farm, which will yield
more grass or grain with less manure than
any other piece lie has,
On our own farm an alder swamp, by Il
system of drains-some costly, from the
location, have given equally good results
and where we used to get the cart mired
in hayin9 time, and work and worry
because we felt all the time that we were
at work on losing job, now corn, grass
and such thistles, where there was never
one before, are growing luNuriantly
where they can be harvested and carted
away with no extra trouble or worry
You that have such fields rs these were,
lust try and calculate the loss sustained in
loss of crops, and labor expended which
did not pay, and figure up whether drain.
ing pays.