2G2 N. H. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



scent of a slatj soil, with a clay subsoil iu part in other 

 parts sand and gravel. Under most of the drained land, 

 he found a clay bottom at about three feet depth, upon 

 ■which tlic water from the liill alcove flowed along, oozing 

 out upon the surface, and standing, in wet seasons, in little 

 pools, and producing grass so sour and coarse that cattle 

 would not feed upon it, and it grew up, and was mowed in 

 the pasture wliere cattle were kept for bedding. Mr. 

 Conner put in his drains across the slope, at three rods 

 distance apart, nearly parallel, and sixty rods long, mostly 

 iu straight lines. lie carried the bottoms on a regular 

 descent, without regard to the surface, laying none less 

 than three feet deep, and in some instances cutting to the 

 depth of six or seven feet, and united the whole in one 

 main drain. 



lie considered it important to cut through the upper 

 strata into the clay, to cut off the flow of water from the 

 high land. The general rule will be found to be different 

 from this course in one particular. The best authorities 

 advise, ordinarily, to cut the trenches up and down, and not 

 across the liill side. Jjut the course adopted by Mr. Conner 

 seems effectual for his purpose. Ilis drained land has not 

 been plowed or changed in any way except by the drains, 

 but so great has been the effect in a single year, of remov- 

 ing the cold water, that the cattle have fed the ground 

 closely, ]io water stands in the holes upon the surface, even 

 a day after a heavy fall of rain. 



Mr. Conner is well pleased with his experiment, and 

 says that he would rather have the product of the land 

 without manure for five years to come, than to have it, had 

 $75 worth of manure to the acre been applied, without 

 draining. 



lie has for many years attempted to drain his fields with 

 stone drains, and pointed out a field where more than a 

 hundred rods of them had been laid ten years. They an- 

 swered well for a time, but of late have in part failed, and 



