ADVANTAGES OF THOROUGH DRAINAGE. 43 



the rain water, and keep them laid up for the nourish 

 ment of plants. 



130. Here then are the advantages of deep and thorough 

 drainage. It deepens the available soil, by removing any 

 superfluous water from the lower portion, and allowing the 

 roots of plants to penetrate freely. It warms the land by 

 diminishing evaporation at the surface. By carrying 

 the redundant moisture readily away at all seasons, it 

 gives the opportunity of early cultivation, thus lengthen 

 ing our short seasons, and of thoroughly mellowing the 

 soil, which cannot be done if it be too wet ; and it entirely 

 avoids the danger of losing the plants on the surface by 

 having them freeze out, as they often do, if water continues 

 to stand on the surface at the approach of very cold 

 weather. It moreover guards plants against the evil 

 consequences of drought. 



131. For, in a well-drained soil, the roots will penetrate 

 to a much greater depth than in an ill-drained soil. By 

 draining, only the unnecessary and hurtful moisture is 

 carried away. The soil, if rich, retains very tenaciously all 

 that is necessary, and parts with it very reluctantly and 

 only to the roots of plants. Now roots which have pene 

 trated two or three feet have twice or thrice as large a 

 store of moisture to draw upon, in case of drought, as 

 those which have been prevented from going down more 

 than one foot. 



In a well drained field, the spring rains, instead of 

 being allowed to run away and be lost, are saved, as in 

 a reservoir, against the heats and drought of summer. 



132. A rich soil, rendered deep and mellow by thorough 

 cultivation, and by a system of unclerdraining, is thus 

 the best preventive to the consequences of drought which 

 the farmer can provide, and it is, at the same time, most 

 effectual against the evils of excessive rain. 



