The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-01-07
Draining Wet Lands.

With the record of the grand results;
Of drainage in this country before u.s.,
and with the evident possibilities of
thousands of acres of land that is almost
worthless now because of its wetness, ifI
it were drained, there is plenty of room!
and cause for enthusiastic advocacy of
drainage. 1t is almost safe to say that,
there never was piece of drained land
that did not pay heavy per centage on
the investment, although we do not our.
selves 90 so far either in theory or prac-.
tice as some who advocate the drainage
of, and do drain all land. While we
would not say that any soil is not betteredi
by drainage, we think that there is a
point beyond which is not practical and
will not pay. Nature has drained much
land, and done it well, and we can af-
ford to let it alone. But when nature
has not done this our duty clearly is to-
supply the deficiency.
The intelligent experiments in drain
ing wet land have been so many, and so
successful, that it would hardly be
thought that any could now doubt the
practicability and profit of thorough
drainage; and there is no such doubt
with those who have made the subject
study. Men have incurred the ridicule
of their neighbors by enormous outlay
for tile for the apparently most un-
promising mudholes, but, so far as we
know, none of them made mistake, and
levity among their neighbors chan ged
to great admiration for the profitable re-
suits. In England drainage is the rule
and not the exception with the advanced
farmers of the United Kingdom, and a
large portion of the marked success of
British agriculture, especially of expert
mental agriculture, is owing to the fact
that the land is thoroughly drained.
Usually this fact, important as it is, is
not taken into consideration by those of
us on this side of the Atlantic who are
interested in agricultural matters, and
who sometimes wonder at the results of
British agriculture. There the matter of
draining is considered SO important that
draining the land is the first thing
thought of, and it is not spoken of in
stating results, for it is presumed that it
has been done. The Englishman fully
understands its utility. Such men as
Lawes and Gilbert have found that to
be unvaryingly successful in raising
crops, drainage is of the utmost impor-
itance, and that without it, other efforts
to improve the soil are actually in some
degree detrimental. These gentlemen
found, for instance, that land that was
heavily MANFRED retained very much
more water than land that was not, and
so demonstrated that without drainge,
even manuring was liable, to say the
least, to do damage instead of good.
Doubtless there is much drainage
done that is not satisfactory. 1t is not
well done, and of all things this is bus
mess that should be intelligently and
carefully entered upon, and carried
through in the same way. Slip-sod
drainage may be said to be worse than
no drainage at all. Tile that is improp-
erly laid will sooner or later become an
intolerable bother and nuisance. Not
unfrequently it is laid too near the surface
when it might just as well as not, at a
little more expense, be laid deeper, and
at sufficient depth to answer every de-
mand 1t pays to do everything well,
that we attempt to do. To slight the
commencement of any enterprise, in or
uCl W odFO OApClioo VI lIOuDle, Is
wretchedly poor policy and no enter
prise demonstrates it more forcibly than
tilling land. The soil will, of course,
have something to do with the depth at
which the tile is laid. Frequently quick
sands or other defects will prevent it be-
ing laid as deeply as is desirable, and
under such circumstances we must do
the best we can. Nothing preventing,
however, tile should be laid three feet
and half deep. As to the means of
draining, tile is the most popular and
usually the most satisfactory.
The outlet of the drain is of course q
matter of the utmost importance, With
out sufficient outlet, and one that will
allow sufficient fall to the drain, our
efforts would naturally be abortive. The
outlet must be sufficient to give the wa
ter free flow from the drain. 1t is rec
commended that precaution be taken to
keep stock away from the mouth of the
drain, as it is said stock is very partial
to drain water, and will soon make a
mud hold and obstruct the flow of the
water, besides being liable to injure the
tile WeSfer7l R7I1'nL