40 AMERICAN HANDBOOK 



and comprise but a small section of orna 

 mental trees. 



The majority thrive best in well-drained 

 soil. I know of no soil, except those on 

 sandy or gravelly substrata, not improved by 

 draining. 



It frequently renders a poor soil perma 

 nently fertile. By an underdrain a channel 

 is opened beneath the surface, which draws 

 down the rain, bringing with it the various 

 gases mixed with it, as well as the many fer 

 tilizing ingredients always found at the sur 

 face, all of which would otherwise have been 

 washed away to the nearest stream. A piece 

 of ground well supplied with underdrains, 

 from the great quantity of air-spaces the 

 draught of water through it occasions, is 

 always moist without the possibility of be 

 coming soured by saturation. So much do 

 I value draining as a means of highly and 

 permanently improving land for trees, that 

 were I offered a thousand dollars for manure, 

 or five hundred to be expended in draining, 

 previously to planting a piece of ground, I 

 would unhesitatingly choose the latter. If 



