The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-12-11

In addition 80 what has already
baen said in the columns of your
most excellent paper on the subject
of drainage, 1 wish to add the follow
ing:
I never saw many open bitches
that thoroughly drained the land.
Every heavy rain or freeze fills in Il
place here and there and makes
stop place for the water, and here it
stands until the ditch is cleaned out
again, spreading out in an effort to
90 by, and thus rendering the land
soggy and sour, and therefore unfit
tor cultivation.
I have known farmers to cut as
many as three or four bitches more
than was really necessary to drain
the soil, because they did not know
or understand the true principles of
drainage. One ditch cut at the right
place and at the right time, and then
Immediately made blind" either
by the use Of drain pipe or tile, or by
using three sided box made of s.
inch plank; or, pine poles from
which the bark has been taken, will
drain the land far better than several
bitches kept only partially open the
year round.
It's by no means as difficult task
to blind bitches as many imagine but
there are some features which re-
duire special attention, or you will
have a bungling job that will fall
short of your expectations.
have often thought there should
be tile factory in every county in
the State, and in every other State,
and do not think it need be an ex-
pensive one either.
If your ditch has firm bottom of
clay, with fair amount of Judgment
you can surely succeed with either Il
box or pole; but don't put in poles
With the bark on. If you do you will
soon have to do the work over, for
it will soon become loose, drop down,
and stop the water and clog the
drain.
If the bottom is sandy or loose,
don't use poles if you can afford
either tile or plank but if you must
use poles, observe these rules:
ID Skin the poles. (2) Put d piece
of plank not less than inches wide
crosswise the ditch under either end
of the poles to prevent them from
sinking into the mud. % Lay down
about so feet of each ditch at time,
and fill up and tramp with your feet
and let remain until after a good
rain or two. a. Dig a hole at the
end to allow the loose mud or sand
to flow out to prevent clogging.
When you are satisfied that the bot
tom is firm, lay another section and
continue in this way until you have
finished Never blind a main ditch
that sometimes carries large quanti-
ties of water let these remain open
but be sure to keep them open, for If
they fill up by freezes or rains the
blind" bitches leading into them
viii surely clog.
The cost Of binding your bitches
will not equal the cost of cleaning
off and out if left open; and besides,
you can get back d portion of the
cost Of binding from the crops that
grow over them and from time saved
in having longer rows and not so
much turning.
One of the hardest jobs on many
farms is that of cleaning off and out
the bitches. and it is often the case
that this causes neglect until they
become so obstructed that bushes re-
fuse to let briars be cut and briars
are too contrary to allow the bushes
cut SO the work stands undOne, and
as d natural consequence no crops
are made and all is lost
No better plan can be adopted in
any kind of farm work than to do
everything thoroughly and we'll.
Keep the hoops tight and the leaks
stopped; study your business, as
merchants have to do; keep out of
debt; raise your own corn, meat and
potatoes; keep good garden with
vegetables of some kind in it both |
winter and summer. See that your
hoss, do not use the same bedding
long enough for vermin to accumu-
late keep ashes and charcoal in a
roRgh under shelter where they can