Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-11-16
SCIENCE IN FARMING.

There is no more important detail
in successful farming than drainage,
and yet many farmers will smile in.
crednlously when you tell them of ITS
great advantages, and very likely style
you "another of them book farmers. s.
They cannot see how the tiles can
stand the frost. | doubt not many Of
them cannot understand how the wa
Ter can flow of through them; the
surplus, that is. They are generally
ignorant of the principles underlying
drainage One often hears farmers
say, ooh, that land is crawfshy," mot
fit for anything" The fact is, that
"crawfshy" land can very often be
made of the very best quality by un.
derdraining. What is the usual plan
Sowing down in grass, with the result,
oftentimes, of messy, boggy, course
grasses, in iicativo Of water on the bot
tom, which thorough drainage alone
will remedy On many farms you will
see low places where water stands like
a small lake. As rule, they are left
mere wastes-too cold and saturated
to raise anything, almost. But little
attention and money would reclaim
them entirely.
The expense of drainage should be
no objection, for it really costs moth.
ing when you consider Alright; Just as
with paint, the preservation of wood.
By not draining land that needs it,
you are losing yearly in yield and
money returns, A farmer expended
$1,000 in draining Il swamp on his
farm. He dug deep and carried the
ditch half mile through an adjoining
farm TO secure an outlet By this
means he freed the location of malaria,
and that swamp has since produced
enough to build the house, and will be
for long years TO come the most pro.
ductivo and profitable ton acres of the
farm. A Now York farmer haa in
twenty years saved ten aores of soil
nearly useless, and redeemed twenty
acres of malarious and utterly useless
land. He has paid $4,000 for tiles.
An agricultural journal says; EARN.
ers must produce more of less acres,
and in no way can it be aided as much
as by efficient undertaking, With.
out il no soil can be pushed to its full
capacity. England produces thirty
while we produce ten bushels of wheat
per acre. The average of our corn at
thrty.fve bushels per acre can be
doubled by q careful and scientific
system of farming, and in this plan
cannot be dispensed with.
The average depth of laying tile is 33
inches, and the cost Of digging varies
from ID to 30 cents per yard, but in
the yield Of crops, the increase is from
2j to 100 per cent" When one thinks
Of the vast amount of land almost val. |
nless on account Of saturated earth,
the surplus water not running of from
lack Of drainage, but remaining to ill
The larger pores, and making a sodden
mass, hc is staggel ed at the immense
loss in revenue. The remedy is in the
hands of tho land owners, but most of
hem are callous and indifferent, and
plead poverty. To allow the land to
continue undrained is to add to power.
.y In business il is a cardinal prin.
,iple to have no unproductive capital,
'ut to make It grow" for it is in re.
llity so much lcss when lying idle.
Black prairie soil, when freed from It's
Excessive moisture, becomes very for.
ilo--otherwise often untillable.
RUsTIcus. |