Year: 1868

taking the TEST Oath" Dan. mus
have bolted from the Radicals, or be
come Conservative.


Formation ard Management OF th'
Soil.


There is tendency in the subsoil ly
ing in repose for so many ages, to orecon
struct itself back into its original stone
We often find it so hard that the strong
est tools are requisite to penetrate anC
separate its closely compressed parti
cles. Water rests on it as on the bottom
of cistern, and roots can get no holt
of it. The soil above it is chilled will
its colder temperature, and vegetation
is sickly or dwarfed. The effect o
breaking up such crust and bringing i
to the light and air, the laying of d-ainI
to carry off the springs of water from tht
field, has the effect to crown barrennest
with fertility, and'to exchange dwarf
ish and feeble cereal to the most lux
uriant corn and clover. .
An experiment of single drain acros:
a small field on which potatoes were
planted, demonstrated to me the fact
that the crop would have been multi
piled four times had the whole soil beer
drained and deepened. In such sea
son as the past one, when rain fell OF
nearly half the days, / have seen many
acres of rich and well manured ground
planted to Ioots and tobacco, which did
not plo loduce half crop, and that of the
poorest quality. The soil rested on q
hardpan or heavy loan, absorbed the
rains, and held the water so that cult
waiting it was like working mud. In a
dry season have seen such lands dc
vastly better. But single experiment
proves that these lands will triple when
the soil is deepened far into the subsoil
and the superabundance of water re-
moved from tho roots of the growing
plant.


WHAT SOILS SHOULD BE DRAISEDf


Some contend that all lands will pay
the outlay on such labor and material,
If all lands will do it, then it must be
obvious that some lands will pay very
large interest on such investment.
What effect can draining have OH those
lands where the underlying earth is so
closely compressed that water will
stand in the trench until evaporation
takes placei Such drains might tap
the springs, and if the soil has been
deepened to proper depth, the whole
land would DO pretty well freed OF
standing water, provided the bitches
were cut pretty near together. Deep.
ening the soil must go along with drain
ing, in order to derive the greatest ad-
vantage from the operation.


nna ,,paat nhiont Of fhic 10 to 1iotri H.
ute the nutritious matter in the surface
to such depth as will lead the roots of
the growing crop to take generous
hold, and SO counteract the influence OF
wet and drouth.


The mechanical condition of such
soil renders it in a great measure self
fertilizing, the open and porous state OF
the soil being thus enabled to freely
admit the atmospheric nutriment which
is carried down in rains and dews. All
surface water passes quickly down into
the drains. leaving the ground ready TO
plow or hoe after a storm of any length.
Lands that now forbid blowing till past
the season for planting, will be ad-
vanced full three weeks, 50 that pota-
toes and grain may be put i'll before the
more hurrying business comes on.


The equalization of heat through the
whole depth of the soil, is secured by
the ability of air to circulate through
the pores. The crust which bakes and
forms on many lands after wet weather,
and which is SO inperviOus to vegeta-
tiOn, will never be found on such i'm
proved land. All plants throw of pOis-
onous matter from their roots, which
remains to blight and kill the roots,
unless this teaching process removes it
beyond their reach. Most soils are sup
piled with certain proportion of vege-
table matter, which the action of water
and oxygen will gradually decompose
for the nourishment of growing plants.
No soil that is contained in lumpy earth
can ever be available until dissolved or
pulverized to powder, and undrained
land seldom admits of this process.


The spring is earlier and the autumn
frost is later en- all lands put into this
mechanical condition, because the earth
is not chilled by evaporation; the suns
rays are absorbed, and the superior
warmth dissipates the cold of the night
air.


Any land on which water stands after
a rain; such as is long wet in spring;
such as is heavy to work at any sea-
son; such as does not pulverize readily
in working, ought to be drained.


DOES DRAINING GENERALLY PAYf


Experience already shows that in
every instance where drained lands have
been cultivated, the yield has been
doubled, and in some instances the pro-
portion to the natural condition has
been fourfold. One farmer borrowed
800, 900, with which to drain his farm,
and found that the increased product
iveneSs of the land, in few years, paid
both principal and interest.


Many have tried, and we have never
heard of a failure. One of the princi-
pal roads in Suffield, on a clay bottom,
was so miry every spring that teams
would sink almost beyond sight. Since
a string of tile was laid under each
shoulder of the road, travel has been
excellent at all times ofthe year.


The English farmers commenced a
thorough system of drainage before its
utility was demonstrated in tkis conn
try. Landlords furnished capital to
their tenants for such improvements,
and fonnd themselves repaid in the iu-
creased value and production of the
soil. The system has become popu-
lar enterprise, so that almost every
tenant or landowner feels the neces-
sity of putting his land into this con-
dition. The government has become
greatly interested in the system. Un-
derdrainiDg every accessible acre is
seen to be equal to adding as much more
territory to the British Isle. Where ten
millions of people once subsisted, twen-
ty millions can now live on the same
soil. This is an important considera-
tion to country so densely populated
as England. The government now en-
courages draining of the lands of its
people by loaning them money, and
taking security on the consequently en-
HANGED value of the farm. This fact
speaks volumes for the system. 1t set
ties the question forever, and leaves no
ground for any after plea.


WHAT SHALL WE USE FOR DRAINS 7


On lands where cobble-stonss are ac-
cessible, and tile are to be drawn a great
distance, the best way is to take green