344 



Irrigation, — Drainage. — The Universal Corn cro-p. Vol. VII. 



acres, were properly disposed of, and applied 

 to machinery to the best advantage, calcula- 

 tions have been made, showing that the gross 

 amount of this power, would be superior to 

 that of a million of horses. One can scarce- 

 ly calculate the saving to the coal fields of 

 England, which the now unappropriated 

 water power, equal to 1,000,000 of horses, 

 would produce. And this is a subject of 

 great magnitude to that country; — some of 

 her first geologists are of the opinion, that 

 the coal beds, broad and liberally distributed 

 as they are, are yet by no means inexhausti- 

 ble. " Mr. Boulton," says the Review, "at 

 a meeting convened to take measures for 

 erecting a monument to the memory of the 

 late James Watt, is related to have said, that 

 the establishment to which Mr. Watt be- 

 longed, had produced steam engines equal 

 to the power of 100,000 horses, and that this 

 was a national saving, to the extent of £2, 

 500,000, annually. It appears from this, 

 that Mr. Boulton estimates the advantage of 

 steam power, over that of animal power, at 

 £25 each horse." In estimating the value 

 of water power, its inexhaustible nature 

 may be considered its first recommendation. 

 The benefits to be derived from irrigation — 

 both by a judicious appropriation of the nn- 

 tural streams, and by advantageously using 

 the surplusage of rain water,* are incal- 

 culable in themselves, and their sources 

 inexhaustible. Every year is diminishing 

 the quantity, and increasing the demand for 

 coal. The call is for steam — steam ! The 

 wonders which it is daily performing by the 

 aid of science, accustom us to look to it for 

 every thing, and to overlook, in some mea- 

 sure, the value of water power. The tanner 

 even, if we may judge from an article in 

 your last number, is dreaming of his steam 

 plough; and why should he not so dream, 

 when steam has enabled him to buy a shirt 

 for three or four cents a yard, and he sees 

 the printer forego the strong pull that was 

 formerly indispensable, and with astonishing 

 rapidity, send abroad for a dime or two, a 

 volume that would have cost our fathers as 

 many dollars. Still, it may be well to remem- 

 ber what Dr. Buckland has more than once 

 taken pains to impress the public mind in 

 England with — that there is sound policy in 

 husbanding the coal. 



* The average fall of rain annually in England, is 

 nccording to Dr. Dalton, 31 J inches. In London, the 



average for the last 40 years, has been about 20} 

 inches. It is greater as wo go north. In Westmore- 

 land and Lancashire, it ranges from 40 to 70 inches. 

 In this city, the average for the last 3H years, was 

 about 38j inches.— See Farmers' Cabinet, page 200, of 

 the current volume.— Ed. 



" Water," says the Westminster Review, 

 "is a natural power, constant and inexpen- 

 sive, because it may be applied where it is 

 procured, and if not used, would be lost. 

 Therefore we do not hesitate to say, that it 

 is two-thirds cheaper than steam, and four- 

 fifths cheaper than horse power:" and suf- 

 fer me to add in conclusion, that its value 

 for irrigation, is not appreciated in the United 

 States. Z. Y. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 The Universal Corn crop. 



Universal indeed ! and yet there are still 

 features in its character that have not been 

 sufficiently, if at all noticed by us. One of 

 these is, the great difference in the cost of 

 seed for planting, when compared with that 

 of wheat, amounting to about a rent of the 

 land at the first start: for while the two 

 bushels and a half per acre of seed-wheat, 

 cannot be valued at less than three dollars, 

 or perhaps four, the seed-corn necessary for 

 an acre of land, is so insignificant in cost, 

 that no one, scarcely, ever counts upon it. 

 And then at the time of harvest, the differ- 

 ence is still greater; for while the corn will 

 stand to ripen without the loss of a single 

 grain by shaking out, the britting of the 

 wheat crop and loss by scattering, at the 

 time of cutting, cannot be counted less than 

 about the seed sown, and oftentimes double 

 that quantity. Here then, are six or seven 

 bushels of wheat to be put to the account of 

 seed-grain and loss at harvest — an ample 

 profit per acre, on the corn crop to begin 

 with, to say nothing of the greater increase 

 of crop, as might in all cases be calculated 

 upon, if justice be done in the working. It 

 is admitted, that this after-working is labo- 

 rious and expensive; but one half the cost 

 should be transferred to the succeeding 

 crops, which are benefited by this admira- 

 ble system of fallowing, fully to that amount. 

 In short, any how you can fix it, there is 

 nothing like corn — how far it would be ex- 

 pedient to substitute its culture for that of 

 roots, is another and interesting question for 

 future discussion. M. 



Lancaster co., Pa. 



Cause of rain. — The theory propounded 

 by Dr. Mutton, that rain occurs from the 

 ininsrling together of great beds of air of un- 

 equal temperatures, differently stored with 

 moisture, is that which was adopted by Dal- 

 ton, Leslie, and others, and is the current 

 one, having been illustrated and strength- 

 ened by the clearer views of the nature of 

 deposition which we now possess. — Book of 

 ihc Farm. 



