UNDER-DRAINING. 



79 



least on a small scale, in a thousand instances 

 in liis own county, with profit and \vith credit ; 

 and why should not the farmer be as ambitious 

 of credit, for the appearance of his farm, as the 

 commander about the cleanUncss and discipline 

 of his ship, or a Colonel for that of his regiment ? 



On the importance of draining, so much 

 neglected in our countrj-, as far as our observa- 

 tion has extended, (with some memorable ex- 

 ceptions, such as may be seen at Indian Hill,) 

 we can only repeat the persuasion heretofore 

 expressed, that next after, if not before thorough 

 tillage, in importance, as ui fact, it should pre- 

 cede all tillage, is thorough draining — a process 

 aptly denominated the motlier of all agricultural 

 improvement. To this, the young farmer on 

 coming to his estate should give his first atten- 

 tion ; and here again we perceive the necessity 

 for early instruction in the principles of hydrau- 

 lics, so far at least as to know the laws which 

 govern the rise and the running of water ; for 

 all attempts at draining must ultimately fail, if 

 not conducted with reference to such principles, 

 whether they be learned by experience, some- 

 times dearly bought, or by studying at school 

 the science of the thing. It will ever be in vain 

 to look for good crops, cither of grajn or grass, 

 until the land has been drained of^l superflu- 

 ous moisture ; and yet tliere are few farmers who 

 might not reclaim portions of their land by 

 drainmg judiciously conducted, vchich \vould, 

 when so reclaimed, be the most productive por- 

 tions of their estate, and well supply the place 

 of such as they might profitably sell, or give to 

 their children. St all events, such eye sores as 

 tliese wet spots, throwing up useless if not nox- i 

 ions grasses, and exhaling malai-ia, are disgust- 

 ing to look upon, and ought to be deemed as 

 disgraceful to any practical farmer as galls on 

 ilie back or shoulders of his woi'king animals. 

 Lmdenwold. under the careful management of 

 Ex-President Van Burex, is understood to ex- 

 hibit remarkable specimens of perseverance and 

 skill in the art and economy of draining. 



Ill due time, as -we can get opportnnitj', the 

 patrons of the Farmers' Library shall be put in 

 posst'ssion of full information as to the principles 

 and most approved materials and system, for 

 performing tliis great means of reclaiminsr, in 

 man}' cases, the most valuable portions of their 

 land, leaving them to decide how far they possess 

 the means of carrying it out, each one in his own 

 case. This is one of the cases where men of 

 fortune and libera! spirit might render essential 

 service to Agriculture, by putting in operation 

 some specimens of die most approved metliods 

 of under-draining, in order to test, for the benefit 

 of those whose more limited means make it im- 

 prudent for them to lead the way — th.e actual 

 expenses and results. The scale of expenses 

 abroad, on account of difTerencc of cost of labor 

 (187) 



and materials, may not apply in America, but 

 the necessaiy allowance on these points may be 

 made, while the efi'ects in regard to the meUo- 

 ration of tlie laud, and the increase of its crop, 

 would be alike in botli countries. 



Our readers may be interested in the testi- 

 mony given before the Tamu-orlh Agricullural 

 Society, on the results of reclaiming land by 

 under-draining, by Lord Stanley, at a meeting 

 of that Association last year. 



" It was impossible to cast round their eyes 

 about the country in wliich they lived, and not 

 acknowledge diat there had been a vast im- 

 provement in the practical agiiculture of this 

 country within the last ten or iffteen years. In 

 producing that improvement he firmlj' believed 

 that this society had borne its full share, and he 

 should deeply regret if any circumstance ■what- 

 ever deprived it of that support which all who 

 were engaged in the cultivation of the soil ought 

 to render it. Perhaps tliey would permit him to 

 make a few observations on two subjects which 

 were of primarj- and vital importance in the 

 science — for it was now becoming a science — 

 of agriculture, wathout which all others were 

 comparatively worthless. A real, effectual, and 

 thorough draining of the soil was of vast import- 

 ance in the first instance, and it was die found- 

 ation of all improvement. Now it was quite 

 true that agriculture was not capable of that in- 

 definite extension by vs'hich the manufacturing 

 interest, in its rapid progress, had astonished the 

 world, and astonished itself; but it was equally 

 true that agi-iculture was capable of vast exten- 

 sion and improvement. The surtace of the soil 

 was limited, and the capacity of the soil was also 

 limited ; but they were limited in a much less 

 degree than \vas generally supposed ; and he 

 spoke with the greatest confidence when he 

 said that, of the waste lands of this couutrj', a 

 vast propoilion was capable of producing a 

 large profit on a lai'ge — an immen.scly large — 

 outlay of capital expended upon it ; and, con- 

 sidering the condition of the country, and the 

 increa-sing population of the country," it was not 

 only their interest, but it wa.s also their bounden 

 duty, to exert themselves, and to apply their 

 best energies, not of sinews alone, but of the 

 mind and intellect, to ascertain how the soil 

 could be made more capable of supporting the 

 population. The importance of thorough drain- 

 ijig was universally admitted, but, perhaps, he 

 might be permitted to state two or tliree facts as 

 practical result-s, which had come under his own 

 observation, showing that what he was preach- 

 ing to them, he was, in a certain degree, prac- 

 tising himself In the course of the last two or 

 three years, they — he spoke for his father as 

 well as for himself— on behalf of themselves and 

 their tenants, had put under ground nearer 

 three than two and a half million of tiles, and 

 had tlius fairly indicated their belief and confi- 

 dence in the success of a great experiment. 

 And why had tlioy done so .' Every month that 

 passed over his head convinced him that, so far 

 from having done all that could be done, they 

 had oidy made a beginning, and were only 

 doing that which it \\as not only their bounden 

 duty, but, still more, dieir abundant interest to 

 do. He would state one instance of the practi- 

 cal returns which might be expected from tldo- 

 rougii scientific draining. In IBll, his father 

 was about to mclose in the park at Knowsley, a 



