102 THE NEW AGKICULTURE. 



fine earth from falling among and filling the crevices between the 

 stones. A heavy coating of manure may follow and then the ex- 

 cavated soil is to be spread over it, grading a terrace if desired. 

 "Whatever course the trench may take, the surface of the hard-pan 

 at the lower side of the ditch or trench must never vary from a 

 water-level. A series of such ditches, one- above the other, are 

 dug a rod or so apart and similarly filled, over as large a surface 

 as is to be improved, each forming an elongated reservoir which 

 will be filled by the water courses cut off, or by the melting snows 

 and early rains; and, if the subsoil is firm clay or hard-pan, it will 

 be retained and as the surface soil dries it will be absorbed by 

 capillary action and brought within reach of the roots of vege- 

 tation. See diagrams on opposite page. 



In regions where the conditions are favorable, suffice it to say 

 that land fitted as above described, will with wonderful celerity and 

 great economy produce most surprising results. 



If the reader will take the above brief description of our 

 methods and consider it carefully in connection with the cuts illus- 

 trating our system, he will find no difficulty in understanding the 

 principles of its construction. A few points only remain to be 

 stated to make it perfectly plain: 



In soils where fine stone can be raked out, it should be done for 

 the purpose of constructing the connecting overflow trenches. 

 These overflow trenches should be in the subsoil, and filled with 

 fine stone to a depth of a foot, at least, and shingled with flat 

 ones in the same manner as the reservoir trenches. All shingling 

 should be of sufficient depth to escape the plow or the deepest 

 spading. 



The construction of overflow trenches, bearing the waters from 

 the reservoir at base of slope, will need to be as perfectly done as 

 possible. The finer the stone below the shingling, and the more 



