

126 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GEORGIA. [412] 



of plants and insects, and facilitates chemical action in the 

 decomposition of mineral substances, previously protected 

 by water. 



The father of drainage in America, Mr. John Johnston, 

 of New York, said, in a communication on this subject, in 

 1854: "Last spring I concluded to plow a clay field, con- 

 taining forty acres, only once for wheat, and that after har- 

 vest. Previous to draining, it was one of my wettest fields, 

 and in dry weather, even in April and May, was very haid 

 to plow, often having to get the coulters and shares sharp 

 encd every day, when we used wrought iron shares. 



"Owing to the great drought before, during and after har- 

 vest, I got a large plow made, so that I could put two or 

 more yokes of cattle and a pair of horses to it, if neces- 

 sary. 



"Immediately after harvest we started for the field, oxen 

 and drivers, plowmen and horses, and, besides new shares 

 on the plows, took other new shares along, expecting to be 

 obliged to change every day. 



"When we got to the field, I had one man put a pair of 

 horses before the large plow, and try to open ihe land with 

 a shallow furrow. He went seventy rods away and back, 

 without even a stop, except when the clover choked the 

 plow. I then put the plow down to eight inches, and after 

 one round, to nearly ten, and we went around without any 

 trouble. I then had one yoke of oxen put behind my 

 smallest horses, and a pair of horses before each of my 

 other plows, and they plowed the field with perfect ease, 

 only changing shares twice. 



"Although the field was undoubtedly plowed at the rate 

 of nine inches deep, yet the clover roots went deeper, and 

 the land plowed up as mellow as any loam ; whereas, had 

 it not been drained, it would have broke up in lumps as 

 large as the heads of horses or oxen." 



6. It warms the soil in spring, by allowing the rain water, 

 which has been warmed by passing through the air, to per- 



