290 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



water from them percolates through the bank, rendering a large 

 tract of the land below the water very wet during the whole 

 growing season. Now, if a deep drain is made along the race or 

 canal, it will cut off the water that would render the soil too wet 

 for cultivation. If, after one drain has been made for such a pur 

 pose, some of the water passes under the first drain, and renders 

 the soil wet several rods below it, another drain nearly parallel 

 with the first will effectually cut off all that would otherwise pass 

 on and render the soil wet. 



400. The young farmer need have no apprehension that he may 

 cut a drain in some places where it will injure the soil by draining 

 it too much. There is but little danger of draining a field so much 

 as to injure it. Most soils operate like a sponge in retaining 

 water. If deep drains were made at a distance of every ten feet 

 across our driest fields, they would retain all the water, as it fell 

 in rain, that is necessary to sustain healthy vegetation ; and they 

 would be benefited rather than injured by such a system of thor 

 ough draining. I pen these suggestions to show that if the 

 young farmer should cut a drain in one place, and it should fail to 

 drain the soil thoroughly on both sides of it, he need not fear to 

 cut another drain, even within a few feet of the first one. Now 

 that the most proper place is chosen for drains, and the stakes 

 stuck for it, the next consideration which is of great importance is, 



THE MANNER OF CUTTING DRAINS. 



401. The young farmer will, very frequently, be so fortunate 

 as to have in his employ some piece of stupid intelligence who 

 professes to know more about thorough draining than all the 

 world besides, and who will insist that a drain must be cut here 

 or there, and that a given depth, which he may mention, is infi 

 nitely better than any other depth ; and that he can excel any 

 other man in laying out, cutting, and stoning or tiling a drain. 

 But the truth is, too frequently, with such knowing ones, that 

 they, in reality, know about as much as juvenile school -boys. 

 There can be no impropriety in giving such knowing ones a hear 

 ing ; but the beginner should consult some farmers who have had 



