434 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



ard of three acres. The curved lines across the 

 meadow represent a cart road. 



When we purchased this piece of land in 1848, 

 all the low parts were covered with water-grasses, 

 and the usual variety of wild plants common in 

 our New England meadows, — and among which 

 was interspersed in plentiful profusion, the fra- 

 grant skunk cabbage, with its large, bright green 

 leaves, and for a time almost covering every other 

 plant. It produced almost a ton of poor fodder 

 per acre. In 1849, we laid a common stone drain 

 two feet deep with a six-inch gullet, which is 

 represented on the cut by the dotted line E. The 

 effect of the draining, plowing, and a slight ma- 

 nuring, was, to change the crop the second year 

 from one ton of poor meadow hay per acre, to 

 three tons of good English hay per acre! But 

 the draining was not sufficiently deep to ensure 

 good permanent results ; the stone drain got 

 gradually choked up by the operations of mice, 

 and other causes, and the water burst up in little 

 jets in several places. Nature then resumed her 

 sway, and brought up the rushes and coarse 

 grasses that delight in an abundance of water. 



That portion of the land on the margin of the 

 the meadow, and represented by the letter A, 

 was never materially affected by the stone drain, 

 — but continued wet late in the spring, and was 

 continually throwing up a hardy meadow grass 

 with a bulbous root, whose botanical name we 

 do not know. This piece was plowed eleven 

 inches deep, well manured, and sowed with car 

 rots, but proved to be too moist to bring a profi 

 table crop. In the spring of '57, it was plowed 

 with difficulty on the 29</t of May, and was then 

 so wet as to leave portions of the furrows in 

 compact masses, which were afterwards broken 

 to pieces with great labor with the hoe. In the 

 spring of '58, less than six months after it was 

 drained, it could have been plowed with com- 

 fort at any time after the 10th of Ajiril ; and 

 during the wet month of May which followed, and 

 at any time since, notwithstanding the constant 

 succession of rains, the soil has been so light and 

 porous as to fall to pieces whenever it has been 

 worked. It is now covered with the heaviest 

 crops that have ever stood upon it. 



The drains are sunk four feet deep, and laid 

 with burnt clay pipe or tile. The pipes in the 

 main drain are three inches in diameter, and 

 those in the lateral drains two inches, and the 

 drains cost, completed, seventy cents a rod. This 

 cost, however, will vary as wages vary, and as 

 the soil to be dug through varies. The subsoil 

 to be dug through in this case was extremely 

 hard, and we were obliged to dig much too wide, 

 for want of suitable tools. The average cost will 

 probably be less i\vaxi fifty cents a rod. 



By reference to the plan it will be observed 



that the lateral drains are not all at an equal 

 distance apart, or of the same length. These 

 were varied in length and width according to the 

 the condition of the ground, being brought near- 

 er or made to penetrate the hill farther, wherever 

 there were indications of a superabundance of 

 water. 



The experiment, so far, affords us the highest 

 gratification. Some of the advantages gained 

 are, that the season on that land is lengthened 

 some two to four weeks, — that it can be cultiva- 

 ted with more facility and comfort and at much 

 less cost, and that it is capable of producing 

 much larger crops at the same expense than be- 

 fore, and consequently will give a greater net 

 profit. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ELECTBICAL PHENOMEIfA. 



At the coming up of the shower on Friday 

 last, about 2 o'clock, P. M., the barn of Mr. Phil- 

 lips, of Swampscot, containing fifty or more tons 

 of hay, was set on fire by lightning and entirely 

 burned. I have often heard it said, that barns 

 filled with new nioicn hay are more liable to be 

 fired by lightning than at any other time, or than 

 any other buildings. If this be so, there must be 

 a reason for it. Can you, Mr. Editor, give us any 

 information on this matter ? 



I noticed the cloud on Friday, as it rose at the 

 north, and moved terrifically on to the south ; 

 and just as it appeared overhead, it was met by 

 another cloud from the west. At this junction 

 the crashing of the thunder was tremendous. 

 This was before the rain commenced ; and so was 

 the firing of the barn. About the same time a 

 man was killed two miles north of us, and anoth- 

 er was paralyzed, about one mile to the east. I 

 remember the first fire caused by lightning I ever 

 knew, was the barn of Dr. Amos Putnam, of Dan- 

 vers, when I was at school. I was so much 

 frightened by this event, that I have taken par- 

 ticular notice, when barns are burned by light- 

 ning, ever since. If it be true that conductors 

 can be so placed on buildings as to protect them ; 

 and that the barns of farmers, after their hay is 

 gathered in, are specially liable to be burned, it 

 behoves them to be on their guard. So little is 

 known of the laws by which lightning is regulat- 

 ed, that all facts carefully observed, connected 

 therewith, are worthy to be recorded. P. 



South Danvcrs, Aug. 9, 1858. 



Remarks. — We prefer to leave the question 

 propounded by friend P. to be answered by those 

 possessing exact knowledge of the laws and na- 

 ture of electricity. 



William F. Bassett, Esq., of Ashfield, Mass., 

 has presented us with some fine Ladies' Sweet- 

 ing Apples, of last year's growth. They retain 

 their plumpness and color admirably, and have 

 received no other care than being kept open in 

 the cellar.^ 



