Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-06-21
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
under.prainage in the S

|
cotton States have been rendered
vaueless by surface washing and
millions of acres OF bottom lands arc
Improbable in consequence of being
covered with gully dirt" or satu-
rated with stagnant water The
former might have retained their fer
tilty under judicious system of rota-
ton of crops. accompanied by ra-
tional method of cultivation and prop
or attention 10 horizon.alizing. They
may still be reclaimed and made pro-
ductive by terracng and green ma
nuring. The latter could have been
protected. and may be now renovated
by drainage. Indeed, there are very
few soils that are not bcne flied by
Understandings. There are millions
OF acres of land in the cotton States
needing understandings. which need
is not even suspected by their owners.
Any soil underlaid by n tenacious
subsoil. and which remains wet at the
surface for thirty-slx hours after heavy
rains would not only he benefited by
Understandings, but needs it 10 secure
maximum productivenes.. Soils which
remain wet long after spring rains,
usually suffer most during the droughts
of summer
Nearly all writer's upon the subject
of drainage confino themselves to tile,
which is too expensive to be used up
on lands of low value and at their
best of small productiveness. Many
owners of lands which need drainage
have been deferred from attempting it
on account of the expense and their ig-
norance of the principles and practice
of drainage. Because they do not feel
able 10 employ an engineer TO lay off the
bitches or to purchase tile, they aban-
don the idea of retaining their lands.
and often waste enough money in the
purchase of costly fertilizers for
lands too wet to benefited by them TO
pay the expense of drainage. which
would obviate the necessity for the
use of fertilizers. There are other
methods of drainage and other mate
rial than tile, which. while les, per-
manent, are cheap and effective.
Among these are rock, plank and
poles. The rock culvert drain Is very
little inferior to tile in bitches which
have stiff clay bottoms. Drains of this
character made thirty years ago are
doing as good work now as then, and
we see no reason why they should not
prove absolutely permanent. Two
years ago we built one hundred
and thirty yards long at total
cost of $l3.15 when completed
The land through which it passed
was so wet in June of the previous
year that the crop planted upon it
had to DO abandoned because mule
could not walk upon the land without
begging. The plow was used in
loosing the first two feet of depth,
shovels following and throwing out
the loosened earth The pillow did
also the entire work of filling. except
few feet at the lower end, filled fol
the mule to cross upon. The rocks
were gathered from the surface upon
the adjacent hills. This land. which
had been too wet to be planted in
cotton. produced a bale per acre the
first season after it was drainel. A
layer of h, stone is placed on cacl
side Of the bottom of tho ditch and
Others laid across them, thus forming
a culvert in the CENTER o her smaller
stones are then laid over these. and
all covered with straw of some kline
TO prevent the soil from sitting through
the stone into the culvert. Thi'
is pressed down firmly upon TIL,
stone, and a good turn plow will fill
tho ditch and complete the job. By
this method of drainage. stone that il
a nuisance upon the surface of thu
fields is made very useful and proiita
, BILE. II those sections in which ston,
, can not DO gotten, poles may be sub
, sttuted. These will last fifteen O
twenty years. the time being create
or less according TO whether the pole
are continuously wet or are alternate
, ly wet and dry Three poles are use,
' as follows: One is laid on each side o
y the bottom of the ditch, so that Their
will be space of two or three inche
I between them; third pole is lai
q above and between them to "break tn
Z j)int." The ends of no two pole
should be together; this to avoid ugl
joints and TO guard against their de
, preston of resulting obstruction o
: the drain. Poles Of about six inche
r in diameter answer best II poles ca
Z not be gotten. split timber used in tn
same way will answer. The
+ drain, or inverted trough, if made @
t. very durable material. answers goo
4 purpose, but is more expensive an
, less durable than the poles. No mat
= ter which is used. liberal quantit
of straw should be spread over th
a material and we'll packed over tn
: poles or plank before filling in wit
earth. Tho object of this is 10 pre-
vent tho loose earth from sitting int
the culvert and obsiructing the dram
age.
r If open bitches are used they shout
not oe less than three feet deer
= should be wide ut the top and narro'
Q at the bottom to prevent crumbling {
p the sides and to facilitate securing {
p. the bottom. If the volume of water
q be carried is very small, six to twelv
A inches is wide enough for the bottom
4 Terracing and understandings al
d the two initial steps towards tn
q restoration of our Southern country {
!. profitable productiveness Cor Soutk
Il ern Cultiudtor.
/, Bees and Bookkeeping.
Who should keen bees and ho'