The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-01-28

| With the record of the grand results
of drainage in this country before us,
and with the evident possibilities of
thousands of acres of land that is almost
worthless now because of its wetness, if
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 go 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 bettered
by drainage, we think that there is a
point beyond which is not practical and
win 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
stn'y. Men have incurred the ridicule
Of ieir neighbors by enormous outlay
IL tile for the apparently most I'M
.,rC.'. sing mudholes, but, SO far as we
k.lo,.. none of them made mistake, and
ieH'ity among their neighbors changed
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
tmental 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 thiDr
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-
lance, 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 manured 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. Shp-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 tbs 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
der to save expense or trouble, is
wretchedly poor policy and no enter
prise demonstrates it more forcibly than
filling 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 a
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
mud hold and obstruct the flow of the
water, besides being liable to injure the
tile.-Hestefu Rural.