238 



Good effects of Draining. 



Vol. VIII. 



In conclusion, I may say that, as far as 

 my limited knowledge of such matters au- 

 thorizes me to speak, I am satisfied that 

 there is no region -that is more favourable 

 to the production of sheep than much of the 

 country I have described. It is everywhere 

 healthy and well watered. I may add, too, 

 that there is water-power enough in the dif- 

 ferent counties composing my Congressional 

 district, to move more machinery than hu- 

 man labour can ever place there — enough 

 perhaps, to move all now existing in the 

 Union. It is also a rich mineral region. 

 The gold mines are worked now to a con- 

 siderable extent. The best ores of iron are 

 found in great abundance in many places; 

 copper, lead, and other valuable minerals 

 exist. That must one day become the great 

 manufacturing region of the South. I doubt 

 if capital could be used more advantageously 

 in any part of the Union than in that section. 

 For a number of years past, the value of 

 the live stock — as ascertained from books 

 of the Turnpike Company — that is driven 

 through Buncombe county, is from two to 

 three millions of dollars. Most of this stock 

 comes from Kentucky and Ohio, and when 

 it has reached Ashville, it has travelled 

 half its journey to the more distant parts 

 of the Southern market, viz., Charleston and 

 Savannah. The citizens of my district, 

 therefore, can get their live stock into the 

 planting States south of us, at one half the 

 expense which those of Kentucky and Ohio 

 are obliged to incur. Not only sheep, but 

 hogs, horses, mules, and horned cattle can 

 be produced in many portions of my district 

 as cheaply as in those two States. This 

 must ere long, become the great manufac- 

 turing region of the South, &c. 



I have thus, sir, hastily endeavoured to 

 comply with your request, because you state 

 that you would like to have the information 

 at once. Should you find my sketch of the 

 region a very unsatisfactory and imperfect 

 one, I hope you will do me the favour to re- 

 member that the desk of a member during 

 a debate, is not the most favourable position 

 for writing an essay. 



With very great respect, yours, 



T. L. Clingman. 

 • J. S. Skinner, Esq. 



Good effects of Draining. 



At the late annual meeting of the Liver- 

 pool Agricultural Society, the president. 

 Lord Stanley, said that he would state one 

 instance of the practical returns which 

 might be expected from thorough scientific 

 draining. 



Ib 1841, his father was about to enclose 



in the park at Knowsly, a tract of about 80 

 acres. Of this about 20 acres were strong 

 clay laitd, with a very retentive subsoil, and 

 the remaining 60 he remembered from his 

 boyliood, as the favoured haunt of snipes and 

 wild ducks, and never saw there any thing 

 else. In the course of the first, year, the 60 

 acres maintained — but very poorly, — during 

 the summer, six horses; and on the 20 acres 

 there was a very small crop of very poor 

 hay. It was impossible for land to be in a 

 poorer condition; and in breaking it up they 

 had some two or three times to dig the 

 plough-horses out of the bog. ^ 



In 1841, the whole of this land was tho- 

 roughly subsoiled and drained, and in 1842, 

 what was not worth 10s. an acre, per annum, 

 the year before, was in turnips, and on that 

 land they fed off in five months, and fattened 

 for the butcher, 80 beasts and 300 sheep, and 

 afterward carted into the farm-yard 350 tons 

 of turnips. In the present year they had a 

 very fair crop of barley and oats, which his 

 fiicnd, Mr. Henry, would be very glad to 

 show to any gentleman who felt any curi- 

 osity on the subject. Now he did not hesi- 

 tate to say that that land was, at that mo- 

 ment, worth 30.S'. an acre. The outlay upon 

 it for pulling up old fences, thorough drain- 

 ing, tilling, and breaking it up, amounted 

 just to 11. 10s. per acre, giving just 20s. for 

 every 150s. of outlay, and giving to the 

 landlord a permanent interest of 14 per 

 cent, on the money laid out on that unpro- 

 mising ground. It happened that in the 

 same year they took into their own hands 

 land which had been abandoned by the ten- 

 ant as perfectly worthless. It was a large 

 field of 22 acres, of very poor sandy soil. It 

 was drained at an expense of 21. per statute 

 acre, and in the first year they fed off on 

 that land 120 sheep, the remaining part of 

 the turnips being carted to the farm-yard; 

 and he ventured to say, that at the expense 

 of 21. per acre, the land was increased in 

 value 10s. per acre to the landlord, and as 

 much to the tenant. — New Enirland Farmer. 



In an Address lately delivered before the Prince 

 George's Agricultural Society, Md., by Tliomas Duck- 

 ett, Esq., he makes the following wholesome remarks: 



" Every consideration which can address 

 itself to our understandings and our hearts, 

 enjoins upon us rigid economy in the man- 

 agement of our affairs, and augmented in- 

 dustry and skill. In all verity, economy 

 must become emphatically the order of the 

 day. We must practice it ourselves ; daily 

 instil it into our sons and our daughters; 

 and their mothers must inculcate the lesson, 

 not only by their precepts, but examples." 



