238 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



capacity, especially in the tile drains. If the draiu is too small there may be 

 gullying which might displace the tiles, hence destroy the effect of the drain. 

 Mature commences to operate upon tlie soil immediately after tlie water is 

 drawn out of it, by rotting the vegetable matter, and condensing the mineral. 

 This makes us think our ditches have filled up. But a close examination will 

 show that the earth has settled. Thus the miry becomes solid — which is the 

 first requisite to improvement, as without solidity it is almost impossible to 

 cultivate the ground, for in this age of macliinery we do not wish to return to the 

 breast-plow of the 17tli century, by which two men skimmed over land from 

 one to two inches deep; neither do we wish to employ the cumbrous wooden 

 shoes of the 18th century upon our horses, that we may be able to plow our 

 waste places. Take out the water, and my Avord for it, there is no more 

 trouble in plowing land in which vegetable matter predominates, tlian there is 

 in any other kind of soil. Furthermore, if it is well drained such land becomes 

 much drier than clay loam, and can be plowed with less than half the team. 

 Around most waste places there is land which, by reason of its coldness, is not 

 very valuable. Drawing out the superabundance of water from the actual 

 wastes often makes the half waste excellent. iS'o matter what the coTuposition 

 of the soil if wet and therefore cold, draining will render it much better. The 

 draiu answers a two-fold purpose : It becomes an outlet for the water, and a 

 conductor for air — of how much importance the latter office we are unable to 

 determine. Nevertheless we all acknowledge the great power of air in softening 

 hard lumps, counteracting the toughness of clay, and ameliorating unadjusted 

 matter to the necessities of vegetation. After draining our farmers usually 

 plow, some deep, some shallow — all having view to decomposition, for as is 

 well known the excess of water has preserved the vegetable matter in our waste 

 places, making it unfit for the production of other kinds of vegetation. Some 

 sow buckwheat, thinking it capable of producing the proper subjugation ; others 

 allow the ground to lie fallow one or two summers. 



Either process has a good effect upon the soil, and it would be merely a guess 

 to pretend which of the modes is the most beneficial. The herd's grass is 

 commonly sown in the early autumn — say September. It produces a good 

 crop the first summer. After mowing it will produce a great crop of roweii (or 

 after math), which makes fine pasture in September or October. Tiiis roweu 

 is better fed off, as too much mulch might produce suffocation. Winter drain- 

 ing is essential, as a sheet of ice might smother the herbage. But the great 

 enemy, on such soils, to timothy or herd's grass is the meadow mole. Per- 

 haps it would be well to allow hawks to multiply, and a few cats are useful as 

 a precaution against these vermin. If corn is raised upon these vegetable 

 soils, it should not be planted before the first of June, as the whole of our di- 

 luvial soils are especially subject to frosts — both late and early. It is believed 

 as decomposition destroys the vegetable fabric in the land it will not cool so 

 rapidly ; but as far as we know we have not positive data upon which to predi- 

 cate this hypothesis. Fall frosts may overtake a corn crop, yet early varieties 

 will mature, most seasons, in ninety days upon rich mucky soils, if properly 

 drained ; therefore corn jilanted June the 1st stands a good chance three years 

 out of four. Was not this meeting social, — class-meeting like, — asking for 

 experience? I would not be egotistical enough to mention myself. Under the 

 circumstances it looks much like duty to tell how I succeeded in raising white 

 beans upon marsh land. Of the draining it is useless to speak. The ground 

 had been ]iastured two years immediately preceding the present. On the first 



