Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-09-03
AGRICULTURAL .



be found largo tracts of wet meadow o
swamp land that if properly drained an,
seeded down, would produce heavy crop
of grass of good quality, with a mucl
less yearly expense than is required t
produce the same quantity on high land
Many OF these tracts are so large and be
long TO SO many owners, that to drail
them would require the united action o
many individuals, some of whom woulo
have no interest III the improvement o
land or III any kind of farming. The
only way to drain and reclaim such tracts
is by the formation of companies under
legislative acts. Our grandfathers re
sorted 10 tl.is method but the old char
ter5, most of them, have run out. If We
nre wise We shall initiate their example.
Already in some portions Of this State
measures have been taken to form com
panics under Legislative acts to drain
large tracts of meadow land.
The tendency at the present time is to
abandon the hill farms and cultivate the
valleys This is because it is sfound more
profitable. The rich partially decayed
vegetation which for ages has been accu.
mulating in the low wet places, when
properly drained and brought in contact
with the dry air, furnishes an almost ill.,
eXhaustiblc supply Of good material for
growing plants.
That the farmers Will eventually avail
themselves Of this rich deposit of nature,
Is rs certain as that progress will continue.
| Fortunately there are meadows of various
sizes, from thousands of acres down to q
few rods each. Where there are but a
few owners, who are all farmers, no time
| should be lost in coming 10 an under
standing, so thai they can mite together
and dig ont the main ditch to the river,
to draw tie water low enough to make
the whole tract So dry that it can be
! plouehed and cultivated, when the cross
/ drains are in. To do this, allowance
should always be made for the settling Of
| the meadow when the water is drawn off.
The depth ii will settle will depend on
| the condition Of the mud or peat. If it
is very soft mud and full OF water, or ii
! very coarse peat, also full of water, the
| settling Will he much more than if the
mud is solid. OF the peat is already par
/ TALLY docomposed. 1t is fair to estimate
that where the water Is drawn off three
! feet, the meadow will settle one foot Some
will settle more and some less.
Ii the meadow is to be underdraiued
with tile. which il much better than open
bitches, the main drain should carry the
water off nearly or quite four feet from
the surface, SO that the tile can be set be-
low the frost. But there are meadows SO
low that they cannot be drained low
enough for underdrains where such is
the case, open bitches should be dug
thirty or forty feet apart, and the mate
rial dug ont thrown on the beds in a man.
ner to make them, the beds, highest in
the middle between the bitches.
Drained il this way, We have seen land
produce good crops Of English grass
many years in succession, that was not
more than eighteen inches above the wa
ter, except in the very dryest portion of
the year but such meadows are too wet
for any cultivated crops, and therefore
have to be kept constantly in grass. 1t is
always desirable to draw the water low
er, and if it can be done by the moder-
ate expenditure Of labor, it should be.
While twelve inches fall, to each hun
dred feet OF drain, is desirable. one inch
i'll that will carry off large quantity OF
water we have in mind three inch Tile
which carries off the water that falls Oh
several acres Of land, that falls hut four
inches the first four hundred feet, vet it
carries the water off at all seasons of the
year, never collecting heaiof more than
twelve inches, and that but for very
short time, and after heavy freshets.
Almost every farm of any size has in
some portions Of it, low wet places, that
can be drained without infringing upon
the rights OF any one these should be
carefully examined, and tie outlet sur
vcyed to ascertain the fall and the amount |
of digging required to drain it. If there
is pond on it, it makes one of the best |
Of levels to work by If two ostakes with |
square tons he SGT m Of each si1n .of tl'e
pond, exactly OF tlcngth above the wa
ter, and on a line in the direction the /,
drain Is TO be dug. and high enough above |
the water to overlook the highest ridge |
to he dug through, by sighting over the |
line Of the proposed drain. with bog to /
march each stake where 1t is on line |
with the top of the stakes in the water. |
the exact depth to be dug can be ascer-
tanned, and II there is nothing to obstruct |
the sight, and the distance is not too great
to the outlet, tho amount Of fall can he |
obtained
In deciding whoie 10 locate cross drains.
it is usually if not always best to have
one around the shore near the high land,
If the surrounding hills are
high is it desirable to have drain to
carry the water off as fast as it runs in
from the high land.
II the drains all run at night angles
with the shore, most of the water from
the surrounding hills will run through
the meadow a considerable distance be
fore 1t reaches a drain and thus keep the
land wet considerable portion of the
time but ii a drain runs parallel with
the shore, it carries of the water from
the high land as fast as il reaches the
drain, and by so doing the lnnd on the
meadow Is kept much drier.
Undertaking with clay drain tile is
the best, and most lasting when placed
below the action Of the frost but where
the drains are dug to hard bottom, and
plenty OF small stones are near, a very
good dram can he male by filling the
bottom Of the drain foot deep with
stones. To make II good drain in this
way, the largest stones should be placed
at the bottom Of the ditch, covering on
top with the smaller stones if these are
covered with 4 few inches OF coarse glass
before b, ing covered with earth, it will
do much TO prevent the dirt from wash
ing down among the stones and rlogging
tie drain Uars. FiougAmon.
THE eHElf':. ruuT-ciEE ASD NEGLz,T