246 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



pan which vre have underlying all our moist lands and com- 

 ing within a foot or so of the surface, that the digging is 

 very expensive, and I have thought it was perhaps cheaper to 

 use tile. I liave no doubt of their greater permanence, for I 

 have suffered from animals getting into my drains, and mak- 

 ing holes, by which the surface water got in, and the earth 

 fell in. But notwithstanding all these disadvantages and par- 

 tial failures, my experience in underdrainingi must pronounce 

 as, on tlie whole, very successful. 



I have in my mind a single field, of some four or five acres, 

 which was rolling in its character, lying almost upon the brow 

 of a hill, that was so springy that it produced absolutely 

 nothing; it was not worth mowing. It lay right to the sun, 

 on a gentle inclination, but the springs below swelled up so 

 as to keep tlie cattle tracks full of water all through the sum- 

 mer and late in the season, water plantain and a few rushes 

 being the only vegetation upon it. I put in stone drains 

 there, and the field now averages two tons to the acre, one 

 year with another, cutting it with the mowing machine, 

 spreading it with the tedder, and raking it with the horse rake, 

 and in the afternoon, it is fit to draw into the barn. 



Question. — Have you not applied more manure since you 

 drained than before? 



Mr. Gold. — Before the drains were put in manure never 

 seemed to do any good, and it was considered useless to try it. 

 "When I took it up and plowed it in connection with under- 

 draining, I put on one good coating of barn-yard manui-e, 

 twenty loads to the acre ; since then we have treated it as we 

 have our other mowing lands. We calculate to top-dress with 

 about what we take off; that is, once in three, four, or five 

 years, give them a top-dressing. The draining was done some 

 ten or fifteen years ago, and the turf formed upon the land is 

 just as good, or better, than it was when the operation was 

 completed. I have perfect confidence in the success of tinder- 

 draining as a means of renovating our wet and cold lands here 

 in Connecticut. 



Dr. Riggs. — I might state that my successes in regard to 

 crops have been abundant, and ample to satisfy my wishes; 

 but this continuous trouble is what I want to get rid of. 



