The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-05-25
Drainage oC Land.

Drainage Of land does it pay: En-.
phatically. yes. Look at tla experience
Of all the countries for these last fifty
years. The amount of farm drainage
carried out in Great Britain. France and
Holland alone is enormous. In Great
Britain it has been done chiefly by ten.
ants or occupi,rS of land under lease for
fixed periods of time. In Scotland and
England fully one fourth oi the drainage
has been effected at the sole expense of
the tenants mot owners II soil. ami per
haps about onc-half Of thu operations at
the joint expense of owners ami occupi-
ers. Ask the occupier, of highly rented
lard paying from fifteen Ia twenty dol
lars per anntin per acre does 1t pay .ou
to 20 to such expense in drainage, and
and they will invariably show yon that
were it not for good drainage, they could
not contract To- pay such large rents.
Sometimes the tenant undertakes tn do
all the drainage. borrowing the money,
which is to be repaid IN six iistalmcnts.
within Il limited period. with half yearly
interest added, - s.tti,iie,l Is he that he
gains far more by the increased value of
crops, than he pays for the drainage
works. Such is the faith ON the other
side Of the Atlantic in the thorough
drainage of land that you may SEQ even
large outfallS made by ttnnrling under
river, to obtain n proper level to drain
farming land. During the past fifty
years. all well-managed farms have
been more or less drained. In Holland,
so enterprishg amt energetic have the
landowners been. that specially eNten.
slve drainage works have been carried
out to reclaim land that Is below tie s'a
level at high water. There some Of the
richest pasture land i reclaimed by en-
bankment, from the sea. and at the in
side at the foot of these entertainments
are cnt large canals, or water courses.
for the retention of the surface water
of the ad iacent lands, until the sea ebhs
to such point that it can ba discharged.
The bottoms Of these canals are some.
times below low water. and to empty
them large engines aud pumps are re-
quired to raise the water from the canal,
and discharge il into the sen ut and near
TO low water. It il from this once sub.
merged but now reclaimed land that we
obtain in this country that famous breed
Of cows called "llolsteins With all
this expenditure Of capital to keep back
the sea- and retain 80 much OF the water
OF the enclosed tracts rs is needed for
the lu,d, the Dutch consider that invest
ment ha, paid well. iIerc we have com
paratively little land depressed below
sea level, which needs great emhank-
mcnts to keep out the pncroachments Of
the sea. Ours is for the most part sim
ply the getting rid OF water of ordinary
springs, and the surplus Of surface water
IN times uf extensive rainfall. LaEd
that is thoroughly drained produces a
finer gralp, as well as Il greater quantity
Of wheat. corn. turnips, etc. II yields
ais, much superior grass. and conse-
uuentlv carries more Of, and heavier
description Of cattle For all uses that
the farmer wants land, drained land is
much superior to that which Is un-
drained. Upon drained land. cold sub
terranean waters that retard vegetation
are removed. ar aud heat that prom te
the growth Of all plants penetrate the
soil. crops ripen better and mature faster
IN certain seasons. crops that viii not
riren at all Oh undrained land arr. upon
well drained land. fully developed. Col,
Geo. e. Bruce, W. Va. IN american
Agriculttlris.