THE NEW AGBICULTURE. 105 



perfect the shingling, the more complete will filtration be found, 

 the more crystal the waters as they emerge into the stream and 

 the more complete will be the work of leaving solids behin d as 

 food for plants. The head of the overfloAV trenches at base of 

 slope should be at least twelve or eighteen inches above the 

 bottom of the reservoirs. In most cases, when the flat or bottom 

 land of the valley is reached, the construction of overflow trenches 

 should have an oblique direction towards the stream, or lowest 

 point aimed at, in order to secure sufficient fall to keep the waters 

 freely moving. Two or three inches of fall to the rod will be am- 

 ple and where this is not obtainable, less will suffice. 



On the west bank of the Genesee, at a point about twenty 

 miles from its source, is found our " Home on the Hillside," with 

 its model five acres, where the author of this volume is engaged in 

 demonstrating what may be done by conformation of soils and 

 conservation of the waters. Nothing has been, or will be, left un- 

 done to make our model so far perfect as to develope the entire 

 possibilities of production, hence calculations of cost, based upon 

 our own experiment, will be found greatly at fault. An equal area 

 put under conditions ensuring an average yield annually of from 

 three to five fold of that hitherto realized under former systems, 

 would likely be cultivated by parties gardening for profit; in this 

 case the expense would be only from one-fourth to one-half of the 

 amount laid out on our model. 



The location of our home, could not well be improved, looking 

 out as it does toward the East at the sun in its rising. A town of 

 about four thousand population lies in the valley below, through 

 which runs the far famed Genesee Kiver for a distance of about 

 forty miles above the Portage. In confluence with the river at 

 this point, several tributaries unite, forming dells of rare beauty 

 and attraction. All about the town rise up lofty hills on which 



