Vol 1.— No. 42. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



338 



In these instances, however, 1 have only given 

 the extremes. How far this authoress has in- 

 fringed litis rule by transferring the summers of 

 Persia to Pennsylvania, let those who are qualifi- 

 ed, judge. Three years ago, I visited the capital 

 of that state in the hottest season, and in a time 

 of severe drought; and I assert without fear of 

 ■contradiction, that I saw nothing of languor in 

 the busy crowds that enlivened its streets. I then 

 passed into the country, along dusty roads, no 

 rain having fallen in several wet ks, and though 

 the fields were less vivid than in ordinary sum- 

 mers, yet there was no deficiency of pasture for 

 the cattle. The fields of Indian corn, (maize) 

 were still fresh and fragrant; and this remarkable 

 and pleasing feature in our rural scenery, can nev- 

 er be passed unnoticed by any one who has a 

 right to call this country " our own dear land." 



Strange as it may appear to those who seldom 

 move abroad, and who have few opportunities for 

 observing the effects of the weather on Vegeta- 

 tion, yet it is no less the fact, that in some of the 

 finest agricultural districts of the Middle States, 

 ■'.he crops suffer more from excessive wetness than 

 from drought ; and none will doubt it, if I give 

 Ihe present season as an instance. It is true, there 

 is sometimes a deficiency of rain, yet speaking 

 in regard to the average, our droughts* are of 

 shorter durations than those of England, which 

 this authoress, from some undefined mot 've, has 

 chosen to place in contrast with this country. 



She says, "Few" tilings in the world perhaps, 

 present a more strikingly beautiful picture to the 

 eye, than an English landscape. The graceful 

 undulations of the country — the d< ep rich ver- 

 dure that overspreads the ground — the high cul- 

 tivation that every where meets the eye and 

 speaks of industry and health — the Gothic edi- 

 fices, telling tales of former limes — and the coun- 

 try seats which display at. once the elegance and 

 taste of the inhabitants ; and above all the »»al 

 cottages which impart a truth :■".*" delightful to 

 the benevolent hear:. *hat comfort and a consider- 

 able porting cT refinement, are enjoyed by even 

 the lowest ranks, — are all points of beauty which 

 are particularly striking to an American travel- 

 ler, for they unfold a train of new ideas to his 

 mind." 



We are not told indeed whether these new ideas 

 arise from his having never seen any thing of the 

 kind before; or whether they arise in conse- 

 quence of the minds of the Americans being so 

 unenlightened to the real situation of England. — 

 The subjoined extract will meet her meaning in 

 either position. 



The hostility of the Quarterly Review to us as 

 a nation, has long been known; and its testimony 

 in our favor on any particular point, may therefore 

 be taken as conclusive, any further debate being 

 considered unavailable. I copy from the review of 

 Briltonh Cathedral antiquities, published about 

 five years ago, which our authoress might have 

 read to some profit : 



■ " A well educated American — is no/sur- 

 prised at the activity and enterprise which he 

 finds among us, for these are characteristics of his 

 own countrymen not less than of ours. The 

 wealth, the domestic comforts, the. refinements, and 

 (he elegancies of life, which have extended them- 



selves to the remotest parts of the island, excite 

 in him pleasure rather than admiration, because 

 f. r these also he is prepared, and may have seen 

 them existing in as high a degree, only not so 

 generally* diffused, in the better parts of the Uni- 

 ted States." 



This admission by a political enemy, places 

 our authoress on the back ground, both in regard 

 to intelligence, and to that sense of decorum which 

 ought to have restrained her from issuing a libel 

 against this country in the heart of our empire. 



The land of my ancestors — for a people almost 

 exclusively of the same language and religion as 

 ourselves, I feel all the interest and all the benevo- 

 lence that I ought ; and I can listen to England's eu- 

 logium with pleasure, except when it is brought for- 

 ward in contrast to our own country ; and then 

 justice requires that we should hear both sides. — 

 All that our authoress has mentioned may doubt- 

 less be found in that land ; and all of it that re- 

 lates to wealth, to domestic comforts, the refine- 

 ments and elegancies of life, is in our own ; but 

 there is something ludicrous in that fondness 

 which imparts to the mountains of Cumberland, 

 and to the fens of Lincoln, the same " graceful 

 undulation." Geologists know that the shape of 

 mountains and hills, depends in great measure 

 on the nature of their rocks; and with barely an 

 exception we have every kind that occurs in Eng- 

 land, and are consequently entitled to undulations 

 as graceful. 



The deep rich verdure that overspreads our 

 meadows and pastures; and that culture which 

 raises the greatest crop at the least expense, are here 

 visible to all but the jaundiced eye. England is 

 proud of her Gothic edifices, as Egypt might 

 be of her pyramids, but no patriotic Englishman 

 could wish a return of those times that produced 

 them. A neat cottage may be very comfortable, 

 and pretl icr. though it speaks of dependence, than 

 the farm- house in this country that shelters the 

 lord of the soil ; but the refinements of the Imcest 

 classes in England, are referred to, rather unfortu- 

 nately in regard to time, when many of its pris 

 oils are crowded with rioters and incendiaries, 

 stated by high authority to have become despe 

 rate from a want of bread. I exult not, but la- 

 ment over these evils, and mention them only to 

 show the scanty intelligence or candor of our au- 

 thoress. 



But I have not yet done with her errors. The 

 American gentleman is represented in conversa- 

 tion with some little girls, who ask him in refer 

 ence to his daughters, " Are they fond of flowers? 

 " Oh, certainly, he replies ; but they have not an 

 " opportunity of cultivating them so much as you 

 "do here, for the excessive heat of our summers, 

 " and the severity of our winters arc particularly 

 " unfavorable to flowers," 



This can require but short comments. English 

 florists generally know how much their gardens 

 are ornamented by the wild flowers of this coun- 

 try; and the exotics which are sold in the vicini- 

 ties of New-York and Philadelphia alone, to thf 

 amount of manyt thousands of dollars annually 

 prove the great attention that is paid to Floricul- 

 ture. Neither the heat of our summers nor the 



-Aboul twice as much rain falls annually onthewest 

 <ro:ist of England ua on the east coast, or inthc neighbor- 

 hood of London- 



"I apprehend much more generally diffused in propor- 

 tion to tlie number of inhabitants. 



[Probably not less thnn one hundred thousand dollars 

 annually. 



cold of our winters are unfavorable to the growth 

 of beautiful flowers with some unimportant ex- 

 ceptions, for there are thousands of fine flower- 

 ing plants that are not injuriously affected by ei- 

 ther. 



If this authoress lives in England, she ought 

 to read Travels of more veracity than those of 

 Parkinson, Ashe "and Fearon. If she is an A- 

 merican, I only acquit her from the charge of 

 wilful misrepresentation on the ground that she 

 has more Ignorance than falls to the common lot 

 of her countrywomen. A Traveller. 



selm "rioiss. 



From the New-England Farmer. 



UNDER DRAINING. 



Mr. Editor — In a late number of your 

 paper my friend Judge Buel, in an article on 

 'underdraining' was pleased to speak in fa- 

 vorable terms of my practice in this species 

 of improvement, of my culture in general, 

 and to ask for some commuication on the sub- 

 ject. As no one in our country has more 

 I successfully blended theory with practice in 

 the various departments of husbandry than 

 Mr. Buel, I appreciate this notice from one 

 so competent to make improvements and so 

 happy in his manner of detailing them to 

 the agricultural community. 



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 sal- 

 utary and simple operation no inconsiderable 

 proportion of many valuable districts of our 

 country must continue little better than waste. 

 It is generally total loss of labor to the far- 

 mer who attempts to cultivate wet lands in 

 our rigorous climate, and by draining, these 

 useless and inhospitable acres have been 

 found of the kindliest and most productive 

 character. 



Having a surplus of stone on my estate be- 

 yond what fences require, I use the smaller 

 and ill formed for drains; they have the ad- 

 vantage of brush in durability and of tiles in 

 economy. My drains are fur 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 placed to allow the 

 water to flow freely beneath, while above the 

 small stones are thrown in at random, so 

 that when leveled they are beneath the plough. 

 Over these swingle tow, shavings or straw 

 may be strewn, after which the earth can be 

 replaced by the spade or plough so as <o pre- 

 sent a rather higher surface than the grounds 

 adjacent and the business is accomplished. 

 — It is very essential that the descent be ea- 

 sy, neither tooquick or too slow, and that all 

 surface water be excluded, as it would speed- 

 ily choke and destroy the underdraining. — I 

 estimate the average cost of such drains at 

 62£ cents the rod. — It should be remarked, 

 that underdraining is adapted to lands pre- 

 senting sufficient declivity to carrv off the 

 springs, and is only the under water 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 appears to me the prominent ad- 

 vantages that the cultivator may promise 

 himself by a thorough system of draining. 



In the first place, he creates as it weie so 

 much terra firma, and adds essentially to the 

 health of all around him by correcting the 

 ill tendencies of excessive moisture. He 

 can cultivate reclaimed lands several weeks 



