40 AMERICAN HANDBOOK 



and comprise but a small section of orna- 

 mental trees. 



The majority thrive best in well-drained 

 soil. I know of no soil, except those on 

 sandy or gravelly substrata, not improved by 

 draining. 



It frequently renders a poor soil perma- 

 nently fertile. By an underdrain a channel 

 is opened beneath the surface, which draws 

 down the rain, bringing with it the various 

 gases mixed with it, as well as the many fer- 

 tilizing ingredients always found at the sur- 

 face, all of which would otherwise have been 

 washed away to the nearest stream. A piece 

 of ground well supplied with underdrains, 

 from the great quantity of air-spaces the 

 draught of water through it occasions, is 

 always moist without the possibility of be- 

 coming soured by saturation. So much do 

 I value draining as a means of highly and 

 permanently improving land for trees, that 

 were I offered a thousand dollars for manure, 

 or five hundred to be expended in draining, 

 previously to planting a piece of ground, I 

 would unhesitatingly choose the latter. If 



