AND H O II T I C U I. T U II A L R E fi I S T K R . 



PUUHSHED BY JOSK.PH bRECK & CO., NO. 62 NOliTH M.VRKET STllEET, (AonicULTunAL Waiiehou«i.)-ALI,EN I'UTNAiM, EDITOR. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST II, 1841. 



[NO. •• 



N. E. FARMER. 



Prom Buel's Farmer's Companion. 



DRAINING. 



Wet soils proceed from two causes, viz: first, 

 from the rain and snow waters which fall upon the 

 surface, whicli are arrested in their downward 

 course, by an impervious stratum of earth or rock, 

 and, if the surfaci' is level, or nearly so, repose 

 and stagnate there, rendering the soil compact, 

 wet, and cold, and infertile. And, secondly, from 

 waters which, having passed through porous strata, 

 are arrested by an impervious stratum lower down, 

 and, operated upon by a constant pressure, find 

 their outlet upon the outcroppings of the impervi- 

 ous stratum, or are forced up again in the form of 

 spouts and springs, — and which impart to the soil 

 which they saturate, an e.xcess of moisture and a 

 cold temperature, wholly unsuited to the growth 

 of farm crops. 



The first object in seeking to rid lands of sur- 

 plus water, is to determine from which of the above 

 caoses the evil arises; — and hiving ascertained 

 the cause — having located the fountain of waters — 

 the next consideration is, how to get rid of, or 

 drain it, with the least expense, and with most 

 benefit to the land. 



A stiff soil, as one of clay lying upon a slope, or 

 being upon a level, and having a porous subsoil, 

 may be sufiiciently freed from water by throwing 

 the land into ridges, terminating in the lower lev- 

 el. These ridges may be narrow or wide, accord- 

 ing to the tenacity of the soil, and the slope of the 

 surface. This is one kind of surface-draining. 



In hollows and other depressions of surface, 

 ■where waters accumulate suddenly, from thawing 

 of snow or heavy rains, open drains should in all 

 cases be made; and these should be of cap.ncity to 

 receive all the waters which may come into them, 

 and of sufficient slope at the sides to render their 

 banks secure and permanent. These are also to 

 serve as outlets to the under-drains. Surface- 

 drains of this kind are often wholly insufficient, by 

 reason of their not being deep or broad enough, or 

 they become contracted from a want of care in 

 scouring and keeping them in order. Parsimony 

 in draining is seldom economy in farming. 



When wetness is caused by spouts or springs, 

 rising froBi below, the object is to prevent the wa- 

 ter rising to or saturating the soil, and spreading 

 through the grounds lying below ; and the mode of 

 effecting this is to cut a drain at the point, or a 

 little above it, where the water from these spouts 



or springs seems first to affect the surface soil 



Where the soil is very porous, the presence of wa- 

 ter may not be indicated upon the surface. In 

 this case, holes should be made down to the sub- 

 soil, at different levels, to ascertain where the foun- 

 tain is. The drain should be so far sunk into the 

 subsoil, as to make a complete channel in it for the 

 water which it is expected to convey. Under, 

 drains arc decidedly preferable for this kind of im- 

 provement, — because. 



1. 'I'htij arc most efficient. Tlicy can bo made 

 to reach, by digging and boring, the depot of wa- 

 ter, or water stratum, and thus to carry off the wa- 

 ter before it approaches the surface, or pasture of 

 plants. Open drains do this but seldom, or imper- 

 fectly, because they are not often carried deep 

 enough, and aro coMlinuully liable to obstructions 

 which impair their efficiency. 



2. They are most durabtt. .An undor-drain, laid 

 in the most approved mode, with st<mo or tile, will 

 last an ago, and perhaps a ceiilury. Open drains 

 are but temporary in their beneficial effects, with- 

 out periodical repairs. 



3. They are must economical. A good under- 

 drain costs no inure than a good open drain, de- 

 signed for a like purpose, and which probably does 

 nut effect so much, as the fuimer can be carried 

 down with nearly perpendicular sides, while the 

 latter must be dug with sloping banks, and must 

 embrace a width of surface corresponding with its 

 depth — the deeper the drain, the broader it must 

 bo at the top. The cost of the stone or tile is in 

 a manner counterbalanced by the difference in ex- 

 cavation. And, when completed, the under-drain 

 will seldom require repairs, while the open one 

 will be a constant drain up(m the labor of the 

 farm, requiring bridges and frequent scourings and 

 cleanings. If under-drains cost something the 

 most, they are certainly cheapest in the end, if they 

 are well constructed ; and they waste no land. 



The only other kind of drains we shall mention,' 

 are what are termed furrow-drain.s. They are of 

 recent introduction, even in Europe, and particular- 

 ly distinguish Scotch husbandry. They are em- 

 ployed upon lands which are nearly level, where 

 there is a tenacious subsoil, to free them from an 

 excess of water at all seasons when the ground is 

 not frozen. The field intended to be furrow-drain- 

 ed, is laid into ridges, of from sixteen to thirty 

 feet broad, according to the texture of the soil, in 

 the direction of the slope, or with such descent as 

 to carry offthe water, and under-drains aro laid in 

 every central furrow, so deep, that when covered, 

 the materials of the drain sshall not be disturbed by 

 the plough. A cross drain is laid on the upper 

 margin of the field, to catch the water coming 

 from above, and another at the lower side, which 

 should he six inches deeper than the furrow-drains, 

 to receive and convey off the water from them. — 

 The effect of these drains is to enable the cultiva- 

 tor to work the land easier, better, and at his lei- 

 sure, and greatly to increase its product. The la- 

 bor and expense of this kind of drains seem great, 

 to those who have not made tlieni, and their econo- 

 my may seem doubtful ; but we are persuaded that, 

 after a little experience, the benefit will be found 

 to outweigh the expense. 



Wherever coarse 8(iuatic grasses are found 

 growing, however dry the surface may appear, the 

 farmer may depend that under-draining will be an 

 improvement, and if he will sink a pit eighteen 

 inches deep, in such places, he will in a few hours 

 find water at the bottom. 



We draw no comparison, nor do wo need any, 

 to show the difference in products and profita be- 



tween a field 'habitually woi, nnd iho trouble and 

 expense of managing it, and the Hame field after 

 it has undergone a thorough draining and amelio- 

 ration. In the first caso it produces vo-y little, and 

 seldom pays the expense of cultivation. In the 

 latter, it is often the most productive field on the 

 farm. Every farmer, we presume, has noticed the 

 vast disparity. If there is one to whom it is not 

 familiar, let him make the trial, and he will be as- 

 tonished at the result, and at his own want of fore- 

 thought ill not having made it before. 



IsipnovEJiE.NT Of Grass La.nds. 

 Although the alternation of grass and grain 

 crops, in connexion with the rearing of cattle, is 

 deemed most profitable, on soils and in situations 

 which will admit of this kind of husbandry, yet 

 there are many situalions in which this alternate 

 change cannot be carried into effect without mani- 

 fest prejudice to the interests of the cultivator 



There are some soils so natural to grass, as to 

 yield an undiminished product for many years, al- 

 most without labor or expense. There are others, 

 upon the banks of streams, which periodically over- 

 flow, which it is prudent to keep in grass, lest the 

 soil should be worn away by the rapid flow of wa- 

 ters. Besides, fertility is kept up upon these last, 

 by the annual deposit of enriching moterials. Oth- 

 ers, again, are too prccipitou.i, or too strong, to ad- 

 mit of arable culture. Nor should we conceal the 

 fact, that it is still a controverted point, whether 

 rich, stiff clays are not most profitable when per- 

 manently appropriated to grass. Whatever causes 

 prevail, the fact is indisputable, that a considera- 

 ble portion of our lands is, and will continue to re- 

 main, in meadow and pasture. It is with the view 

 to aid the farmer in correcting the defects which 

 may exist in such grounds, and in improving and 

 keeping them in condition, that we offer the fol- 

 lowing suggestions. - And, first, 



Of Pastures. The evils that are experienced 

 in pasture grounds are, the gradual disappearance 

 of the best grasses ; the growth of mosses and 

 weeds in their stead ; and the prevalence of coarse 

 herbage, which cattle reject, in situations where 

 there exists a superabundance of moisture. Wher- 

 ever there are stannaiit waters, as upon Hat sur- 

 faces that abound in springs, or which have a su- 

 perficial soil upon a tenacious subsoil, the herbage 

 is not only mainly rejected by the stock, but the 

 pasture is unhealthy, particularly to sheep; but it 

 is remarked, that if the water is in continued mo- 

 tion, as is generally thi,' caso upon the declivities 

 of hills and mountains, ill consequences do not so 

 often result. 



To remedy the evils we have enumerated, and 

 to improve the value of pasture grounds, one or 

 more of the following expedients may be resorted 

 to, viz : sowing and harrowing in grass seeds, sca- 

 rifying, bushing, draining, manuring, top-dressing 

 with marl, lime crashes. 



Grass seed may be sown either in September or 

 April, followed by the harrow, and if practicablr, 

 by the roller. The harrow partially extirpates the 

 ' mosses, breaks and pulverizes the surface, and bur- 



