The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-31
Corn Culture and Drainage.

If we expect to grow corn on much OF
our western land, we must drain. 1t is
quite enough to know that corn in a
drained field, in wet season or after
a late spring at least, will be far better
than corn in an undrained field, right
alongside of the other. This any one
can see if he will take the trouble to
investigate, for while drainage is not as
common as it should be, it is common
enough TO furnish such illustrations, to
almost any one who will 90 to even lit
tie trouble. Corn cannot grow in cold
soil. That is certain. And if soil is
wet and. will not drain either by natural
or artificial means, it must wait in the
spring for the sun TO evaporate the
water before it is warm enough for plant
growth, and if it is a wet, late spring the
corn cannot be planted until it ought to
be well on in the process of growth
Then, if a drouth come it is unable to
sustain itself, because of its backward
ness, and failure must result, and the
soil being compact it cannot absorb what
moisture there may be in the air, and
consequently the direct effect of drouth
upon such land is greater than upon that
which is drained. Briefly stated. these
are sufficient reasons for draining.
1t is q wicked waste of fertilizers to
apply them to wet soil. The soil being
compact the manures lie upon or in it,
as it would lie upon rock or hard wood
1t cannot absorb the elements of plant
growth contained in the manure, and
it cannot take advantage of the me-
chanical influence of the fertilizer. If
rain comes, instead of carrying the ele-
ments down through the soil, as it should
do, it releases them in the soil, and per-
haps throws them to the surface, and in
either case, to a large degree, they pass
off into the air through evaporation. A
solid compact soil means broken down
soil. Many soils that will not grow a
crop of corn are not lacking in elements
of plant growth. But they have become
thus broken down, or perhaps disorgan-
lied, and nothing will do them any good
but thorough mechanical reconstruction.
If we take fresh lump of earth and
place it in a pot it will absorb a certain
amount of water, and if there is hole
in the bottom of the pot what water the
lump will not retain will trickle through
and leave the earth in a natural condition
in the condition in which the soil in our
fields should always be. But if we stop up
the hole at the bottom and keep pouring
water on the earth its porosity will be
destroyed and it will become. totally
unfit to furnish nourishment to plants.
An undrained wet soil is simply the
lump of earth in the pot without any
hole in the bottom and too much water
in it. The farmer who spends time and
money in manuring such lands, main
tains very large leak in his profits. If
his soil has had its porosity broken down
by the continual presence of water he
mustget the surplus water out and keep
it out. Then he can break up his land
and restore the lost porosity. If the soil
has become disorganized through ex-
cessive cropping perhaps he will heed to
restore the elements of productive
soil, through judicious system of ma
nuring or proper rotation OF crops, de-
pending largely upon clover for the sue
cess of his system of rotation. 49, Western
RuraL