St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-10-05
Badly Drained Soil.

Probably no better illustration can be
given of the effects of water on growing
plants than what we see in the case of
plants growing in pots. Every pot is pro-
vided with hole in the bottom to allow
the water to drain out when the soil be-
|: comes saturated, and with the exception of
water or bog plants, this drainage is a ne
ceSSlty. III we see plant whose foliage
turns yellow, or drops off, or which fails
to grow, and whose whole appearance is
unthrifty, we are almost sure to find the
trouble to be at the roots, and not unfre-
quently we find the drainage is clogged
and the roots are inactive. Turning the
plant out of the pot, placing some bits of
broken crock at the bottom, and then some
coarse material, the plant is returned to
it's place and filled in with fresh soil, and
in short time it starts into new growth
and shows that it can grow if the condi-
tons are suitable. Without healthy roots
there can be no vigorous growth. A sup
ply of water is necessary for the roots to
take from the soil what they want, but
the water must pass off and not remain
stagnant, or disease and death will follow.
The case is exactly the same with plants
growing in the fields where there is an
excess of moisture below the surface
Pot grown plants may still further serve
to show bad effect of a surcharge of
water in the soil. All plant growers are
very careful in cold weather about water
ing their plants at night, knowing by ex-
perience that the increased evaporation
will too greatly reduce the temperature
and thus check and stunt the plants The
case is the same in effect over large areas
where the water is held in the soil below
the surface. The temperature is kept
many degrees below what it would be if
good drainage existed. Vegetation COM
mences later in the spring, arrives at ma
turity later, and is coarser in texture on
such soils. The market gardener, the
fruit grower and the farmer cannot afford
to raise crops on any but well drained
lands,
All of our cultivated plants thrive best
on soils where the water quickly passes
away. Even the cabbage, the caulitower
and the ce31.s;y, which are especially CRATE
full for an abundance of water, show then
resentment to stagnant water by stuntta
growth and general unthriftiness. In well
drained lands the roots of plants are able
to penetrate to much greater depth, and
thus the capacity of the land is increased,
while it's superficial area remains the
same. If some of our readers have an
mbition for more acres, let them ask
themselves the question, if the land they
now have is bearing to its full capacity.
To what extent may the present area be
increased in productiveness by judicious
and economical drainage? The question
of drainage takes precedence of that of
manure, important as that is, takes prece-
dence of methods of culture, of improved
implements, in fact of all cultural opera
tions. From the fact that roots can pene-
trate to greater depth in drained lands,
vegetation on such soils can sustain itself
far better even in times of drought; the
available soil of undrained land is shallow,
and when these are dried out the plants
have no resource, for they cannot penetrate
the unarated subsoil.-V ick's Magazine
for Auqust.