76 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



remain on the surface for hours after a shower, shovring that 

 an almost impenetrable strata lies not far beneath the surface. 

 Our own experience in the treatment of such cases is this : 

 Run ditches through the hollows, two and a half to four feet 

 deep, according to circumstances, put a culvert at the bottom 

 with small stones found on the soil, filling the ditches to within 

 sixteen to twenty inches of the surface with the same material, 

 using the little chinkers freely, covering the same with coarse 

 mulch or leaves before levelling up with earth. 



We have sometimes found it necessary to cut drains through 

 sections vv^hich were comparatively dry, in order to tap a basin, 

 and have invariably witnessed improvement. 



In one instance, we ditched round three acres of stiff, hard 

 soil, three and a half feet wide, two to four feet deep as neces- 

 sity required, laid a stone drain, and built a double wall 

 thereon seven feet high, measuring from bottom of ditch. 

 Through the lowest part of the same land cut another drain, 

 stoned and covered with soil. Tapped the lower drain in two 

 places, where tlie water is drawn off. The whole piece is 

 sufiiciently descending to let the water run freely and keep the 

 drains from filling up. 



This land is now covered with nursery stock and standard 

 apple trees, the latter just coming into bearing, producing fruit 

 which has drawn prizes. In digging drains, we find a pick 

 indispensable. The " hard pan " we usually find from two to 

 four feet below the surface, though not often so near as two feet. 

 Men who love labor, and would lend a hand at making the 

 " wilderness blossom like the rose," will find that several 

 advantages are derived from operations of the kind just indi- 

 cated. Tlie ditches make a fine place for stowing away stones 

 from the surface soil, or, w\\q\\ fence is desired, place the stones 

 in, so as to answer that end. Frost will not tlirow down a wall 

 properly laid on hard pan in sucli excavations. 



The ditch banks may be used in filling up stone holes and 

 other cavities, by which process results are effected, both in 

 beauty of appearance and permanent improvement, which 

 would astonish a novice in the business. 



On the kind of soil of which we are writing, we have many 

 times noticed, just before the snoiv, and while the ground is 

 freezing, the rocks and boulders lying with the upper side 



