220 UNDERDRAINING AND DEEP TILLAGE, 



ground by frost is merely the pressure of the surface, by its expan- 

 sion, upon the substratum -which will not yield. The ground -was 

 loosened by plowing only to the depth of eight or ten inches, and 

 iJiis chiefly is affected by the frost. The crystals of ice, each carry- 

 inof up a little of the soil, life up the roots Avith them to become 

 exposed to the action of the weather, and in a short time the plants 

 suffer seriously. By und^rdraining, much of this injury is avoided. 

 Less water being contained in it, there is less heaving of the drained 

 soil, and, as a necessary result, there is less of winter lulling. The 

 united testimony of those who have thoroughly underdrained their 

 land seems to be, that little or no freezing out takes place upon it. 

 Hence, by a more extensive use of draining in our State, we might 

 have a more extensive cultivation of winter grain. 



We do not propose to dwell on the more obvious advantages aris- 

 ing from underdraining. A few of them only will be alluded to. 



By it, we avoid open ditches, which are a waste of land on any 

 farm. The farmer cannot plow close to such drains, much land is 

 unused besides that occupied by the drains themselves. They are 

 very inconvenient, no matter how skilfully contrived and arranged 

 so as to interfere as little as possible with teaming. They are al- 

 ways in the way, they take too much room. Open drains also waste 

 soil by carrying off the more valuable and finer portions by washing. 

 Thus they involve an expense of money, time and land which are 

 not balanced by the good done. All the good that open drains do, 

 underdraining accoujplishes more easily and far better. Open drains 

 also must be frequently repaired, and the obstructions to which they 

 are liable removed. Underdraining when once carefully and se- 

 curely done, needs no expensive repairs. Draining also obviates 

 the necessity of plowing lands into beds. Tliis custom of raising 

 land in ridges by plowing, has grown out of the necessity of avoid- 

 in <t an excess of water, but it fails in great measure to accomplish 

 the object aimed at, while draining does it thoroughly and effectu- 

 ally, and the land may safely be left even and convenient to work. 

 Teams also can pass easily over well drained land under circum- 

 stances which would prevent the use of the same teams on soil satu- 

 rated with water. More than this, the loaded teams can pass with- 

 out any injury to the land itself, while on undrained land the soil 

 would have been pressed down and rendered more solid than before. 



