NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



211 



slices and when dry, hum them. This remedied, tiles; they will not fill up. In regard to the depth 

 the need of the application of manure — the ashes — in Northern New York he believed thirty inches 

 supplying its place. He had got good crops in was considered sufficient. This he did not think 

 this way. Another mode he had practiced, was deep enough to produce the maximum effect of 

 to spread on singly a coating of gravel. This he draining, which he considered to be to warm the 

 had clone thirty-five years ago, and for thirty years J land. The water tubes should be so low as not to 

 he had got a good crop with nothing but a light be reached by evaporation. In regard to the ex- 

 dressing of compost every alternate year. These pense, he believed that as a general rule, draining 

 lands are valuable for feed for cattle, in dry sea- would not bo found very profitable. In many bi- 

 sons, when uplands fail. It used to be thought: stances it would be better for a man to buy anoth- 

 also necessary, to have a large supply of meadow er farm than to spend a large sum of money in 

 hay to carry our stock through ; but the opinion 



is now more prevalent, that it is better to reclaim 

 our meadows and raise good English hay for our 

 stock. Draining uplands he did not consider so 



draining, especially while land is so cheap as it is 

 now. He did not doubt the effect of draining and 

 loosening the earth to produce large crops. 



Hon. Mr. Hubbard, of Sunderland, rose to in- 



important in this country as in England. He' quire of Mr. French in regard to the kind of tile he 

 would dig his drains two feet wide, and two or j used. 



three deep ; put in the loose stones, and then fillj Mr. French replied that it was the pipe or tube 

 in turfs with the soil on top. This would be found, tile. They can be procured at Albany, at $3,50 

 an easy way to get rid of the stones. He coin-[P er one thousand feet. They are preferable to the 

 cided in the belief, that land thus reclaimed is horse shoe tile, as having a bottom to them, they 

 among the most valuable of any in our State. "° n °t sink. 



Mr. Pomeroy, from the western part of the Mr - Hubbard said that a manufactory for sup- 

 State, said it was noticeable, that most every plying these tile had been established at Deerfield, 

 farmer in the State has some low muck land, and in this State, where they are made and sold rather 

 that in almost every case this land can be drained, j cheaper than at Albany. In regard to the subject 

 These low lands are better adapted to grass than of draining, he considered it very important. He 

 anything else ; but he and some of his neighbors' s P oke of the extent oft unproductive land in ou? 

 had practiced raising potatoes upon them with St ate, and the vast population it might sustain if 

 good success; the mode was as follows. They reclaimed. Agricultural products are every year 

 dig a ditch round the outside of their piece of land, t rising in value, and therefore, he argued, farmers 

 and run up ditches to the cold spring in the cen- are able to expend more in reclaiming their waste 

 tre, if there are such. If it is then not fit to be land. He had known land which had produced 

 plowed, they go on to it with Irishmen and rip f absolutely nothing of value, to be made worth from 

 it up with hooks. It is then thrown up into $100 to $200 an acre, by draining, at not half 

 ridges, on the top of which they plant potatoes as that eost. "When once properly drained, ft be- 

 early as they can, manured with plaster. The ' comes the most permanent productive land we 

 Chenangoes, which had been the worst to rot in j have, requiring but little manure compared with 

 other lands, had been raised in this way without [ uplands. We need, he said, this muck land for 

 decaying at all; they were planted quite early., the purpose of reclaiming our uplands. In the 

 The next year these ridges are levelled down, and former we have a large amount of vegetable and 

 the piece sowed with grass seed, and with a very animal matter, which is beneficial to be applied to 

 little manure a good crop of grass can be obtained, : the latter. In regard to the manner of draining, 

 and the land will be in a good condition. Then if, h « thought one error was to dig through the cen- 

 it did not pay in dollars and cents, it would pay in j tre of the land to be drained, and expect the water 

 the good feeling which the farmer will experience ' to flow to the drain from each direction. It is a 

 in seeing what was formerly an old swamp— an ! better mode to dig round the lot, and then run 

 eye sore upon the farm— converted into a fine level, | drains to the springs in the centre, if necessary, 

 beautiful piece of grass land. He approved of: Some complaint is made thatcropscannotbe obtained 

 deep draining, and thought many cases of failure from these lands. The application of sand will 

 might be traced to shallow draining. The land j remedy this evil. It supplies an ingredient which 

 will settle in the centre, and in time will go as low j ^ wanted for the culture of grain, and at the same 

 as the bottom of the drain— unless it is dug quite time warms the land. 



(Jeep, Mr. Howard, of Boston, next spoke and con- 



Mr. Brooks, of Princeton, did not doubt the ad (firmed what Mr. French had said respecting Judge 

 vantage of draining upon wet lands, but he said,! Bud's experiments. The material now chiefly 

 the question is, as to the manner, depth, and dis- used in New York, is pipe tile. Seneca County, 

 tance apart of the drains. The difficulty with the in New York, is most remarkable for its thorough 

 open drains is that they fill up, by the bottom J draining. He related the experience of Mr. John- 

 rising up. The best tiles for drains are the tube 'son, a Scotchman, who was the first to introduce 



