The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-12

tIJN tSSCN
together.
parsons, bat sometimes II is necessary
and l hope YOU Will pardon me now
/ was brought up on a farm IN Scot
land. have farmed there myself, ana
am farming now in Chowan county,
North Carolina. SO / can speak about
a few things in both countries. IN
Scotland farming IS carried on IN the
most improved manner, perhaps more
so than in any other part OF the Woriu,
at least / have never seen anything III
this country to equal it, lthoush !
have travelled over most Of the States.
Time this is a vast new country ana
snch perfectiOn cannot be ooh Tor,
still we in the South are more back
ward than We SHOULD be with our
great natural advantages. Today the
tenant farmer of Scotland with IT'S
cold black climate), rents from $500
to $4,000 per acre, enormous taxes,
and equally as high wages as you pay
here. is better off than the landed
proprietor here. How - that: Flrst
and last the lands is tile drained, that
is the secret, and / Will now try and
prove il.
objects OF Drainage.
The principal object in tile or under
drainage is to carry off an excess OF
water either from rainfall, or arrest
the ascent of water from beneath pure
springs or by capillary action. so as TO
render the soil fit for cultivation and
also regulate the supply Of moisture
to growing plants. We also tile drain
to let water into the soil, for no farmer
of any intelligence would wish to CON
duct rain water off his land by sur
face grips, or have tile drains simply
to tap the soaking s~ubterranean
springs, he must take the advantage
of making the fertiliZing properties
e sst&~n - rHyl
and feed the roots Of plants in It's
| passage to the tiles.
When there is too much water *.
h soil and no provision made Tor
drawing it out, the small interEtitial
canals become clogged up. to the eX-
ciuslon Of the proper amount Of air,
on which the activity of the soil ON
sideFed as laboratory for the produc-
ton OF plant food depends. When the
soil is tile drained all excess of water
flows off through the channels or in
terstitial canals, and only so much
moisture is retained as can be alb
sorbed by the freer pores Of the soil,
and as there is then free c~ommunica-
ton through the canals between the
pores Of the drains, il is evident that
all the water Will be withdrawn from
the soil except that which is held by
capillary attraction. Thus the rain
that falls on, and is absorbed by the
cultivated ground. p~eScoIateS towards
the drainage level, carrying fresh air
and ammonia plant food to the roots
Of growing crops in solution The
mount Of nitrogen III the form of
ammonia and nitric acid trough
down by rain and snow on an acre OF
land will be at least seven pounds in
q year.
understanding not only allows the
rainfall loade with his fertility to
pass through the soil and be dis
charged from below, after depositing
its fertilizing material. instead of
flooding the surface and removing
from the upper soil many rich ingre-
dents useful as plant food, but the
rain water in percol1ting down
through the soil acidises washes out
OF IL anything that may be bad to
plant life. And the solvent action Of
the rain water IS, at the same time.
Drought TO bear on the inert constitu-
ents of the soil and Of the anu
with which it is brought into contact.
The latter is not the least benefit OF
draining, for on wet land the best
Hanures are almost thrown away.
Cnder-draining deepens the soil by
lowering the line of excessive water
beyond injury TO the roots. It affords
to plats d deeper subsoil for their
roots to penetrate at the rate az
about 100 tons per acre for every
inch OF depth gained. It par the
way Tor deep tillagc and steam cult
walton. 1t makes the soil more loose
easy to cultivate, can be worked soon
er after rain, which often saves a
crop from grass; and generally saves
money. Thorough tile drainage not
only relieves the soil from excess of
water, but in a dry year the more.
porous soil retains moisture longer
the subso1 being deeper the roots
penetrate deeper and are more sa fe
from drought.
meath draw in the deWs at nighs
which is a great help in dry climates.
| have known cases where, after \
dry spell, the leaders were quite free
from II water, but a day or so be-
tore rain come they would begin to
tficlle and run, this demonstrates the
fact that the Suct on in the pipes was
draining ile nlaiStnre from lie -