THE NEW AGRICULTURE. 101 



of the trench. Then cast in round stones to the depth of from 

 eighteen inches to two feet, and shingle perfectly with flat ones 

 when obtainable, and flat tile or timber where stones are not ac- 

 cessible, and in the absence of round stone, making use of tile so 

 conformed as to secure reservoirs. Then rake out the fine stone 

 from excavations for use in the construction of overflow trenches, 

 in which, if stone is not procurable, use tile, perforated or those 

 leaking at joints, or making use, if disposed, of other suitable ma- 

 terial. 



On reaching level or bottom lands during construction, the 

 overflow trenches should be so constructed as to secure a continued 

 flow through them from each successive reservoir trench. 



Let no reader doubt that, in regions where rains and dews de- 

 scend and snows fall, the waters, always in motion so that stagna- 

 tion in no case occurs, will not only find their way into the trenches 

 filtered and filtering as they flow, but will emerge in form of springs 

 or enter streams at their bottoms, with soils of the surface remain- 

 ing unwashed and steadily fertilized by the flow of waters through 

 them. When the waters come to the cold clay and clod of the sub- 

 soil the latter will be aerated, warmed, loosened and rendered soft, 

 porous and productive to the depth of the deepest trenching, and 

 every acre thus treated will be increased in value and that perma- 

 nently to a degree vastly lucrative. 



Let us suppose that a farmer has a hillside and that he has 

 adopted our system, in which case he goes to work as follows: 



A ditch is opened on a water-level along the side hill or slope, 

 say a yard wide and from three to five feet deep. At the bottom 

 of this ditch is loosely placed cobble and blocky stones for a foot 

 or two, then flat stones are laid over these, then a quantity of 

 smaller stones; cover these over with weeds, briars, bramble, fine 

 brush, straw, cornstalks or any available material, to prevent the 



