PUBLISHED BY J. B. RUSSELL, AT NO. 02 NORTH MARKET STREET, (a 



Agricultural Warehouse.)— T. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



VOL. X. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 12, 1831. 



NO. 13. 



®©sasawsni*siiaa:©srs» 



UNDER DRAINING. 



Mr Editor — In a lale luimlier of your paper 

 my fVieiid Judge Buel, in an article on ' undertiniiii- 

 iiig' was pleased to speak in favorable terms of my 

 jiractice in this species of improvement, of my cul- 

 ture in general, and to ask for some communication 

 on the suhjt;ct. As no oue in our country has 

 more successfully blended theory with practice in 

 the various doparcments of husbandry than Mr Buel, 

 I appreciate this notice from one so competent to 

 make improvements and so happy in liis man- 

 ner of detailing them to the agricultural com- 

 munity. 



As regards underdraining and the many benefits 

 resulting from it, my observation and experience 

 fully corroborate all Judge Buel has said in its 

 favor — indeed without this salutary and simple op- 

 eration no incoiisiderable proportion of many val- 

 uable <listricts of our country must continue little 

 better than waste. It is generally total loss of labor 

 to the farmer who attempts to-cultivate wet lands in 

 our rigorous climate, and by draining, these useless 

 inhospitable acres have been found of the kindliest 

 and most productive character. 



Having a surplus of stones on my estate beyond 

 what fences require, I use the smaller and ill form- 

 ed for drains ; they have the advantage of brush in 

 durability and of tiles in economy. My drains arc 

 for the most part 3 feet in depth, 2 feet in width at 

 top, sloping to one at bottom. The bottom stones 

 are largest and are carefully jdaced to allow the 

 water to flow freely beneath, while above the small 

 stones are thrown in at random, so that when level- 

 ed they are beneath the plough. Over these swingle 

 tow, shavings or straw may be strown, after which 

 the earth can be replaced by the spade or plough 

 80 as to present a rather higher surface than the 

 grounds adjacent and the business is accomplished. 

 — It is very essential that the descent be easy, 

 neither too quick or too slow, and that all surface 

 teatcr be excluded, as it would speedily choke and 

 an3 destroy the underdraining. — I estimate the 

 average cost of such drains at 62i cents the rod. 

 — It should be remarked, that underdraining is 

 adapted to lands presenting sufficient declivity to 

 carry off the springs and it is only the underwater 

 that is meant to be drained in this manner, while 

 open ditches are adapted to the bottomlands for the 

 conveyance of surface water. — I will state what ap- 

 pears to me the prominent advantages that the cul- 

 tivator may promise himself by a thorough system of 

 draining. 



In the first place, he creates as it were so much 

 additional terra firma, and adds essentially to the 

 health of all around him by correcting the ill ten- 

 dencies of excessive moisture. — He can cultivate 

 reclaimed lands several weeks earlier and as much 

 later in each year than those that are unreclaimed, 

 his crops are better and more sure. The labor 

 of after tillage is much diminished. The stones 

 that impede the plough and scythe are removed, 

 and not the least essential benefit, is the constan't 

 supplies of water which may be insured in any field 

 inclining to moisture, which with reference to ani- 

 • mals will, as a permanent convenience and advan- 

 tage, fully compensate the expense of drains. 



I have just put down a field of wheat which has 

 required e.vtensive underdraining. I will sketch a 

 diagram of it for your readers. This field has re- 

 quired 250 rods of stone draining, and I hope to be 

 remunerated the whole expense in the surplus cirops 

 of the two next years, to say nothing of the plea- 

 sure of witnessing the finest grains and kindliest 

 grasses taking the place of bull rushes and wild 

 grass. I am, sir, your most obedient servant. 



HENRY W. DELAVAN. 



Ballslon, JV. T. Sept. 27, 1831. 



SKETCH or A riELD UNDERDKAINED. 



The outer lines are fences. 



CULTURE OP THE SWEET POTATO IN 

 NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



I have not heard of this valuable root being 

 cultivated to any extent in this vicinity, or in this 

 latitude, nor do I believe that there has been any 

 proper attempt made. The last season I applied 

 for a small quantity of seed, to Mr Russell, the 

 ■publisher of the New England Farmer, through 

 his agent, and by some means, I received them 

 quite too late to plant, and the potato much decay- 

 ed and what few were sound were dried and 

 wilted, and bad litde appearance of any vegetable 

 life ; I however planted them all together, hoping 

 I might find some of them to vegetate, and then 

 to plant them in proper order. By the last of June 

 I found a small portion of them had vegetated, 

 and accordingly planted them, and tended them 

 as well as I knew how, and had but a small crop 

 as n:ight be supposed ; and was not a little 

 pleased even under these unfavorable circumstan- 

 ces to have experienced the fact of raising about 

 two bushels of small sweet ))Otatoes. 



After making use of about one half of them, 

 I knew no better way to save the residue for 

 seed, which were the smallest of them (and small 

 ndeed too) than to put them into a cask in my 

 cellar, well mixed and covered with dry sand. 

 Supposing them to be well taken care of, I did 

 not look to them until the last of the v.iuter, when 



to my very great disappointment I found the sand 

 to have settled and become quite moist, and every 

 fibre of the roots entirely decayed. 



From all these circumstances I concluded if I 

 could procure seed in good season, in March or 

 early in April, that they might be started in a hoi 

 bed, or some similar way, to plant as soon as the 

 spring frosts were over that they might be grown 

 to full i)erfection. 1 accordingly applied as be- 

 fore. As it happened they did not reach me till 

 late, and they had then begun to decay. I was 

 not able to plant them before the last of May, 

 about one month earlier than the last season, which 

 has operated greatly in favor of a crop. From one 

 peck of seed, [not more than half of wliich were 

 sound and vegetated) and notwithstanding they 

 were planted very late, I am favored with a plenty 

 of perfectly sweetjfttatoes, much better than any I 

 have ever been abte to obtain from the South oj 

 Middle States, and 1 think finer than ever I found 

 there, having frfcuent opportunities of proving 

 them. My little «-op is very gratifying to be sure, 

 for my family are numerous and all excessively 

 fond of them ; my average yield is a bashel from 

 eight hills, which gives me about twenty bushsls, 

 produced on light loam. 



I have seen in the New England Farmer some 

 advice for keeping this valuable yegetable. The 

 method most highly recommended, £ tbinfc, was 

 pulverized charcoal, which, if a sofe way, is at best 

 a verj- di:-agrecnble ore. I should feel myself very 

 much obliged if I si.ould be advised from any one 

 through yoK]r.,iitfitf'ji'*he mnst safe and proper way 

 of keeping them, also whether there should be any 

 selection for seed, and what kind. Yours. A. K. 



Portsmouth, M". H. Oct. i, 1831. 

 05^S weet Potato slips are not generally received 

 in Boston from the South, for sule, till about the 

 middle of April. It would be useless to try to 

 get them sooner, for if they become in the least 

 chilled on the voyage, they deeay almost as fast 

 as they are opened to the. air. No economical 

 method of preserving the slips for seed through 

 the winior in New England has yet been discover- 

 ed to our knowledge. — Ed. 



FOR THE NEW EWGIAWD FARMEB. 



PRESERVING POTATOES. 



Mr Fessepidi^, — About two years ago, you 

 published in tlie New England Farmer, on the au- 

 thority of some French agricultural Journal, n 

 new method of preserving potatoes for several 

 years, fresh and fine, viz. by burying them in a dry 

 situation several feet below the surface of the 

 ground, so as to be entirclij out of the iiijluence of 

 the heat requisite to produce vegetation. — It would 

 no doubt be highly gratifying to many to learn, 

 what has been the result of any experiments 

 that may have been made, to test the efficacy of 

 this neiv method of preserving that invaluable ar- 

 ticle of human subsistence. If you have received 

 any satisfactory accounts on this subject, you will 

 lay your agricultm-al friends under new obliga- 

 tions, by placing them before the piddle, and of 

 whom, no one will be more obliged, than 



A Constant Readeb. 



Keene,M H. Sept. 29, 1831. 



