320 



THE FAilMERS' REGISTER. 



their master, and the youn^ Scotch airenl had 

 left some years before. Now, there can be no 

 doubt but ihis land will be perfectly drained ; and 

 we shall no doubt see a fine wriiten letter m some 

 (ashionable agricultural publication. The letter 

 will describe, m glowing colors, how imperlectly. 

 the land had been dramed by the cross system 

 with hollow drains, and the most extraordmary 

 effects produced by the "Deanston system; 

 never taking it into consideration, that it has 

 been the u.ultiplicity of the drains on the latter 

 eysiem which has produced the efiect. Ibis 

 letter will be read by amateur farmers, and at 

 some cattle show dinner, some one ol these will 

 be^ leave of the chairman to propose a toast. 

 This will be prefaced by a flourishing speech on 

 the crreat national benefit to be derived Irom the 

 above system of draining, coupled w:lh subsoi 

 ploughing, and which, if generally adopted, wil 

 soon be the means of paying oti the " national 

 debt," and will end with proposing to drink ttie 

 health of Mr. Smith, with "all the honors, i/*ree 

 times three, hip, hip, hip, hurrah I for Smith and 

 the Deanston system of draining. At most ot 

 the aaricultural dinners I have been at o late 

 years,^there has been a great quantity o! drain- 

 jno- done, both theoretically and- practically, ibe 

 fomier has been applied to the land, and the 

 latter to the bottle. , 



A new tenant upon a farm in this township, 

 drained a field of wet clay in February 1840 

 The field had been oats the preceding year, and 

 the old tenant had allowed the cattle to graze on 

 the field all winter, consequently it was very 

 much poached, and when the draining com- 

 menced every hole was full of water. The person 

 who laid out the drains was a little inclined to 

 the "up-hill system" in every case ; but know- 

 jno- I had drained a considerable quantity ot land, 

 he asked my advice, which he Ibllowed except 

 in a part of the field. In this the drains were 

 taken up the incline. The drains were all laid\ 

 whh tile, aiid at a distance of 18 (eet. When 



the drains had been open about ten days, I went 

 over the field, and where the drains had been 

 made across the incline, every hole made by 

 the feet of the cattle, and which were lull ot 

 water ten days before, were now quite dry and 

 the land firm to walk over; while on tliat part 

 where the drains were made up the incline, the 

 holes still contained water, except those near tlie 

 drains, thus evidenily showing that the cross 

 system was the best by the quickness in which 

 it took the water out of the soil. . 



Another tenant drained a field in the spring ot 

 1841, which had an incline of about ten degrees ; 

 the soil strong, and the subsoil clay and sand, and 

 lay in such a manner as inclined me to think it 

 would drain quite as well, if not better by t tie 

 "up-hill system." However, half of the field 

 was drained upon one system, and the other halt 

 on the other, by way of experiment. The drains 

 in both cases were made at 20 feet distance, 66 

 inches deep, laid with tiles, and cinders upon tje 

 tiles between them and the surface soil, ihe 

 field appears to be perfectly drained upon both 

 parts, but next year's crop will afford means ot 

 testinor the matter more accurately. 



Now it appears very %ar to me, that the great 

 success of Mr. Smith's system lies in the number 

 of the drains, not in the direction in every case, 

 or in beincr made of broken stone; tor, by the 

 number he puts in, the land would be drained, 

 whatever direction they were put. but | repeat 

 that the object with every drainer shotild be to 

 aive the drains that direction, and that depth, as 

 will drain the land perfectly dry with the lewest 

 drains ; and to do this, there can be no rules laid 

 down in books, except general ones. _ 



DrainincT is of the first importance to agricul- 

 ture Thlre is no saying what England may 

 vet do by a general drainage, with a proper use 

 of the plough, the hoe, and the dung cart. 1 

 am, sir, yours, very respectfully. 



' VV. RoTHWELIi. 



fVinwick, March 1st, 1842. 



CONTENTS OF THE FAKMERS' REGISTER, 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Reports to the State Board of Agriculture : 



1 On the most important recent improvements 



in agriculture in lower Virginia— and the 



roost important defects yet remaining 



2. On the Brandon farms - - - " 



3 On part of Nansemond county - - - 



Report to the Cumberland Agricultural Society 



on gypsum as manure - - - - 



The times of the ripening of wheat in different 



places - - " " ■ " _, ' 



The farm and farming of the Rev. J. H. iur- 



ner. — Lime. No. 5. . " ' " ' 



Editorial notes in reply, on liming - - - 



Remarks on Mr. Turner's opinions of rotahons 



Lime, &.c. 



The wheat crop 



Remarks on Professor Bronn's theory concern- 

 ing the influence of the origin of seeds 

 Slugs destroyed by lime - - - " 



KO. VI. VOL. X. 

 SELECTIONS. 



257 

 274 



298 



270 



282 



290 

 293 

 304 

 304 

 304 



309 

 310 



Page 



On the comparative merits of the Isabella and 

 Catawba grapes, &c. - - - ■ ' 



Liquid manure 



Destructive insects . - - - - 



The sea devil caught at Charleston 

 Need for agricultural experiments, &.c. - 

 Aericultural condition of Pennsylvania - - 

 Address belbre Cayuga Co. Agricultural Society 

 Casks for preserving grain - - " ■ 

 History of the cane - - - - - 

 A new source of the best manure - - 'coos 

 New artificial manure - - - " /*"»'»" 

 The influence of the origin of seeds on tne 



quantity and quality of crops 

 Sowing corn for fodder - - - - • 

 Slugs destroying the cotton crop - 

 The fruit garden - - '. ,' c" -iu,I 

 Remarks on draining, and parhcularly bmitn s 

 Deanston system - - 



266 

 266 

 267 

 268 

 269 

 273 

 283 

 288 

 288 

 305 



307 

 310 

 310 

 311 



318 



