THE DRAINAGE OF THE FARM. 4(53 



draining clays, in a satisfactory manner, should be more than the rates 

 commonly thought of, the question of ultimate profit is the principal one 

 to take into consideration. Clays are intrinsically of greater value than 

 light soils ; and, though the expense of gaining access to their organic in- 

 lients is greater in the former than in the latter, yet they are worth all 

 the additional outlay. 



DRAINAGE OUTLETS. 



In commencing drainage operations on any kind of land, the very first 

 thing requiiing attention is the improvement of the main water-courses 

 into which the covered outfalls are to be discharged. If a sluggish river or 

 a dead-level ditch, half-grown up with rank vegetation, is to be left undeep- 

 ened when adjoining fields are being draifted, then the probability is, that 

 the outlets which are now formed but a few inches above the level of these 

 i in perfect water-ways, will, in a few years, not only be grown up, but 

 back-water will injure the whole inland operations to such an extent, that 

 the drains will cease to be any longer effective. Though " prevention better 

 than cure " may seem a very trite motto, yet it really ought to be more 

 attended to, in its practical application, to the carrying out of drainage 

 works, than it usually is by improvers. The whole value of the outlay 

 on draining will frequently be found to hinge on the completeness of the 

 r an<l ditch outfalls as actual discharging water-channels. What- 

 ever the really necessary expenditure may be, it is unquestionably a mat- 

 ter of the first importance that means should be adopted, to clean out and 



.ighten crooked water-ways, and, if at all possible, add to their d 

 charging capacity, by increasing the descent of the channel, which is to be 

 specially relied on. 



Thru: are some kinds of undrained land, however, which, though not 

 situated on tin- hanks of a river, can yet be drained properly only by the 

 application ' t amount of skill and expense in the formation of 



outfalls. Take some of the flat-lying land in Ontario; and j 



a moment, how impossible it is to drain them cither three or 

 feet deep, unless some extraordinary expensive pnvi>in is made f,,i 



ring of a proper outlet It is no uncommon thing to aee a sh< 



1 land, extending to many square miles, which seems to be- 

 a ( l flat and <-ly water I, that it 



'i it. I'.ut the inipo-il.ilitv is .,nly imaginary after all. It is a in 



i of skilful application of that i 



phantnm. There in no / /// world ft 



u-'dl w>t run away from re may be spots 



