Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-12-04
A9rienltnral department.
DRAINAGE.

noted agrlculturlSt and writer:
First, drainage is healthful. Health
is our greatest blessing, but it is
held by such loose ties, and is SO soon
and easily lost that a very trifing
cause, apparently, is sufficient to de-
stfoy it. To the student of physiol-
ogy i is surprising that we are able
to preserve it in spite of all the inju-
rious conditions with which we per-
init ourselves to be surrounded. |
Cold and damp are exceedingly inju-
rious and unhealthful. In cold and |
moist atmosphere person heated by
exercise or work is very rapidly chill
ed, and as sudden chill stops the
perspiration from the skin, and the
perspiration is to very great extent
the drainage of the body, large
quantity of unwholesome matter is
thrown back upon the blood, poison
ing it and producing colds, feyers,
lung disorders. or dipththeria, and
from these proceed the fatal consump-
ton. Half the common diseases
which prevail in rural localities are
due to absence of prope- drainage
and this is because the soil saturated
with water is continually giving forth
moist vapors which cool the air, fill
our homes with dampness, and carry
up with them from the reeking earth
myriads of parasite germs which pro-
duce the deadliest diseases when they
find weakened or disordered sys-
TEN in which to plant themselves.
All the wastes of the summer are
gathered into the soil in the fall, and
there decaying, should be carried
away or neutralized in the soil, if
only this is dry and air can find its
way into it. But where water is, air
cannot penetrate. Remove the wa
ter and air follows, forced by the
pressure of 10 pounds on each square
inch of surface, and with it carries
into the soil the warmth of the sun
and purifes, WHITES, and vitalizes it.
Then for our health's sake, whenever
stagnant water remains in the soil it
should be removed by drainage.
Second, drainage is profitable. 1t
is one of the compensations of i'm
proving the comfort and appearance
of our surroundings that this adds to
the money value and the income from
it. And no other improvement that
can be made on a farm pays as well
as drainage. 1t is as though Golfer
of wealth, heretofore locked up and
hidden, is brought out and opened
| and we are invited to take the con-
tents. The soil has natural endow-
ment of fertility. If this has not
been drawn upon by complete use
and cultivation, reserve or unap-
propriated balance is left that has
not been called for. But when thor
! ough cultivation has been made pos
sible by drainage all this reserve is
reached and can be drawn out and
utilized. 1t is rarely indeed that the
cost of the drainage of wet land has
not been wholly repaid by the in
creased crops in two years, and in
numerous instances the first year S
harvest has paid the cost and left a
large surplus for future profit every
year. The first farmer in America
who drained his land and imported
the tiles to do it with from Scotland
paid, not only for the drains, but fol-
the land, from the crops in a very
few years.
WARMTH I'm THE STABLES.
Before an animal can increase il
weight it must first have supplied the
heat and renewed particles of bodily
waste. This is done with the food
but if it requires all the food giver
to keep up the healthy standard, ;
loss occurs. We can easily see then
that the warmer and more comforta
bile the quarters ale, the smaller tn,
amount of food required for creating
the natural warmth. If more than
sufficiency for warmth is furnished
the stock it is at once stored up il
the body of the animals until needed
should the supply of food at an.
, time become insufficient. We cal
this storage of food in the system
: fat, and although the animals do no
: provide for themselves in the manne
of the bees and ants, yet there is
| nevertheless, providential storag
in times of plenty in order to com
pensate for those periods in whic
the opportunity is not present. We
feeding for the same purpose, rel
s / on the accumulations in excess of til
natural want, and send the overplu
!. to market. Is it not of the highes
t Importance, then, that every adval
tage be given to the accumulation {
n flesh and fat by having the quarter
d warm, and thus economic in the foe
h demanded? Every ounce of food ov'
and above that which should supp
D heat, if not converted into u porto
;. off the body, is a waste, and we cs
lie he extravagant by neglecting Il
y winter quarters. Now is the prop
d. time to make all needed repairs al
other preparations, and little til
"a devoted to that object not only
ut sures profitable return for the e
pense of labor and time, but ad
or materially to the comfort and hap