The citizen., 1908-09-18
nrninnre Of Soils.


Drainage permits OF earlier CROPS
and a larger proportion Of air.
warmth ana moisture in the soil.
Drainage benefits the land also by a.
fording ready outlet for all excess
Of water, thereby preventing stagna-
tion anu removing q source OF evil.
The bad effects produced by an e.
cess of waterfall of which are. CT
course, removed by drainag ga-may >
enumerated at length. One evil pro-
duced is the consequent diminution
in the quantity OF air within Il. which
air is of the greatest Coass squsncs.
not only in promoting the chemical
changes requisite FOR the preparation
of the food for plants. but likewise
10 the roots themselves. Excess OF
water Injuries the sell by diminishing
its temperature in summer and in
creasing il in winter-a trarsposition
of nature most hurtsul to peTea2ials.
because the vigor of plant in spring
depends greatly upon tha lowness CT
temperature TO which Il has been sub
ieetsi during winter within certain
limitsl. as the difference of tempers-
ture between winter and spring is
the exciting cause % the ascent Of the
sap. The prssenca OF large quantity
Of water in the soil also alters the re-
suit Of putrefactioa. by which soma
substances are formed which are use
lsss to plants An increase in ths
proportion OF moisture in soils has
powerful effect upon lis saline con
sti,ueats. by which many changes are
produced diametr.cally opposite TO
those that take place in soil where the
water IS much less in quantity: ana il
this way the gocd e8scls Of many va
liable constituents are g-eatly dimia-
ished. as for instance, tie action CT
carbonic ac.l upon lime and green
materials, Gn1 gyrsam upon car
Donate OF ammonia.
The proportion Of plant foods avail
able in the soil for the use OF crops
IS largely Influenced by drainage and
the amount OF surplus water in the
soil. The directions CT the currents
which occur in wet soils are entirely
altered by drainage: in UNFRAMED
soil are altogether from below upward
-being produced By the force OF
evaporation al the s2-faeA-eonsa
Qusntly the spons.oieS @. tie plants
are supplied with undesirable subsoil
water; but when the land is drained
the currents are from the surface 10
the drains. and the roots are. coass-
lusntly, supplied wisa fresh asratsd
water. Drainage increases the ab-
sorptioa OF carboaic acid. also the at
mospher.e supply Ot food. and ere
atss tendency il the plant 70 pre-
Guce leaves possessing 4 different
structure from t1cse wnicl the ssma
plant produces II dry situations Al
o,hsr important point IS that OF land
th&t has been drained the system OF
subSoiiiag can BE adopted with ten
fold advantage. which is an ob5est Of
the highest importance, for there Is
70 doubt thse the use of the Subso.l
plow has been satisfactory on almost
all soils. having been found as valu2.
bic on lisAt lands with rententiYa
bottoms as urOa these cs : more com
Hact ana suffer surface. rendering
soils drieT il wet weather and mora
moist during a season of drought
That s tenacious and imperyious sub
soil must be relieved from the water
collected and retained on its surfacs
before the sa-tA can be fitted for the
growth Of vegetable matter has been
most clearly aad satisfactorily ascer.
tanned. The best mode OF eTectins
this object may be q question. bus II
is probable tat Undertaking With
tiles Will be found the most ecoaona.
zeal method.
cold soil is never capable Of pro.
ducing profitable crops. An excess
Of water in the soil. in addition 70 It's
injury TO the soil. also produces q
constant dampneSs OF the atmosphere
which has been shown to be Injurious
10 plants. especially By diminishing
evaporation. thus rendering ehs
process OF assimilation slower. and in
some sections and on certain farms
malaria results; in fact, there Is every
reason TO believe that surface water
which is for the most part stagaan.
is by far the most injurious. because
n this manner the currents produced
during the heat of summe7-namsly
the period al which vegetation should
Be most actiye-wiIl OF nee sssity bs
entirely from below upwards, being
produced by the evaporation OF rhs
water upon the surface of the soil. tbs
consequence being tnat the roots 81
the plants. instead o. being supplied
with water charged with the vaiuahis
plants foods. VIII be supplied vit5
water which has existed so long in ths
soil that il Will have lost these vessta.
Die ingredients. and will. moreover
be charged with exerementitious ma.
tsrs. No system OF drainage can d.
minish the quantity CT water which
soil receives: it can only aTsct tbs
quantity which it retains and prevent
stagDation by allowing it to esears
freely that continual currents are NJ,
ducsd so long as any excess Of wate,
remains. Drainage viii not fail tS
pay Z percentage upon the cost far
greater than many other investments
as that land which mas been reclaimed
by drainage will oftentimes require nc
manuring for years, the herbage, too.
s,e