CULTIVATION'. 183 



All lands which are made wet by spriugs or 

 through which the water of rains does not readilj 

 settle away, must be drained artificially before they 

 can 'be cultivated to the best advantage. 



The advantages of under-dr?im& over open-drains, 

 are very great. 



When open drains are used, much water passes 

 into them immediately from the surface, and carries 

 with it fertilizing parts of the soil, while their beds 

 are often puddled by the running water and bj^ked 

 by the heat of the sun, so that they become water 

 tight, and do not admit water from the lower parts 

 of the soil. 



The sides of these drains are often covered with 

 weeds, which spread their seeds throughout the whole 

 field. Open drains are not only a great obstruction 

 to the proper cultivation of the land, but they cause 

 much waste of room, as we can rarely plow nearer 

 than within six or eight feet of them. 



There are none of these objections to the use of 

 under-drains, as these are completely covered, and do 

 not at all interfere with the cultivation of the sur- 

 face. 



Under-drains may be made with brush, stones, or 

 tiles. Brush is a very poor material, and its use is 

 hardly to be recommended, except when a better 

 material cannot be afforded. Small stones are bet- 

 ter, and if these be placed in the bottom of the 

 trenches, to a depth of eight or ten inches, and cov- 

 ered with a little litter, having the earth packed well 

 down on them, they make very good drains. But 



