1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



153 



pock to the acre less on the drilled ground — as, 

 in drilling, every seed is covered at a uniform 

 depth, and consequently all vegetate. 



I have not seen corn |)lanfeil with lliis machine ; 

 but the proprietors inform nie that, hy throwing 

 a part of ihe drills out of gear, it ciin be made 

 to i)lani corn, beans, &c., to perfection. 



Yours, &c., Alk-PvKD Reynolds. 



Wehsler, N. Y., May, 1848. 



Irrisa'ion. 



Irrigation has been practiced by 'he Chinese 

 and Egyptians from the remotest antiquity. In 

 countries where rains seldom fall, and the ground 

 becomes. dry and parched, irrigation is of im- 

 mense value. It consists in taking water from 

 lakes, sewers, running streams or reservoirs, 

 and causing it to flow over the land by means 

 of small canals or furrows, then by proper out- 

 lets to carry it off again. It is confined, accord- 

 ing to CoLMAN and Johnston, almost exclu- 

 sively to meadow lands. 



The benefits of irrigation in a country where 

 rain falls frequently and abundantly, are the 

 same as those of manuring. When the water 

 used holds in suspension any organic matters, 

 thev subside while the water remains on the 

 fields, and leave a visible layer of manure on 

 the surface, after the water is drained off. An 

 example of the fertilizing effect? of irrigation is 

 seen in the lands along the banks of the Nile 

 and Ganges. But the effects of irrigation with 

 water that contains no organic sediments, must 

 be considered the same as tliat of rains. Run- 

 ning water furnishes to plants some gasses, 

 which are absorbed, and in this way are berie- 

 ficial. Crops of young and tender plants should 

 be irrigated by pure water : it mav be repeated 

 every two or three weeks when there is any 

 want of rain, and the water be allowed to lie on 

 the field only three or four days. It is thought 

 by Engli5h Agriculturists to be injurious to 

 meadows to flood them immediately after mowing. 



Warping is a process similar to irrigation : 

 the object of this howtrver is more especiallv to 

 obtain the sediments of muddv stre:nns, &:c. ; 

 the water should never be allowed in eitiier pro- 

 cess to remain on the field until s'ngnateil. Irri- 

 gation is most beneficial on land whidi is well 

 drained beneath, so as to allow the water to pen-j 

 etraie the subsoil, and not stand too long on the 

 surface. Meadow lands are sometimes watered 

 in the winter to prevent the itijurions effects ofj 

 frost upon the roots of the grass. Irrigation is! 

 not practiced to much extent in the United States ; ' 

 and the remoteness of many farms from streams, 

 as well as the expense attending the operation, ' 

 will prevent its universal applic.ation, even where ' 

 it would lie beneficial. M. M. Rodgeks. 



Rochester, N. 7., 1848. 



Reading Farmers. — Draining;. — Sub.soiiing. 



Wf, make the following extracts on sulijects 

 embraced in the above heading, from an interest- 

 ing letter written us by Mr. S. I). Beers, of 

 Tom(>kins county. Speaking of Agricultural 

 publications Mr. B. says : 



" I do regret, however, that not more than 

 one farmer in ten reads one of any kind. But 

 their influence is felt throughout the country — 

 for I often hear the remark made that such and 

 such an one is a good farmer. Now, so far as 

 my knowledge extends, these veiy men read 

 all they can lay their hands upon on the subject 

 of Agriculture. Ileie is a question — what 

 makes them superior JUrmers 1 Is it because 

 they read and practice what they read, — or is it 

 because the same energy that prompts them to 

 read, prompts them also to work their farms as 

 they should ? Perhaps it is both. 



There is one branch of improvement that I 

 think very much neglected, viz : Draining — 

 and I would respectfully suggest its discussion 

 more at large in the pages of the Genesee 

 Farmer. Tiiere is in the State thousands of 

 acres that are not worth •'Sr?, that may, by a small 

 expense, prnper/i/ hid nut, he made worth $40 

 or more per acre — for such lands generally con- 

 tain a laige share of vegetable matter tliat will 

 produce good corn crops for a number of years 

 in succession ; and when stocked to Timothy 

 make a meadow far preferable to any natural 

 meadow, so highly prized by many. 1 am now 

 sjjeaking from actut.l experience on the subject, 

 and I must acknowledge my indebtedness to 

 Jesse Buel, who has been the originator oF 

 many permanent improvements in Agricultuie. 



There is another improvement that has agi- 

 tated my mind for a number of years — Suhsoil- 

 ing. I am of the opinion that we can have a 

 soil as deep as we choose to till and tertilize. 

 And as we may go down without infringing the 

 rights of oihers, at least to the center, why not 

 u-e it as well as to sweat ourselves in torturing 

 a few inches of the surface ? I may be mis- 

 taken, but do not feel willing to abandon the 

 idea until T give it a fair trial, which I intend to 

 do this fall. 



My apology for troubling you with a letter 

 so long and poorly arranged, is that my business 

 is tilling the soil — and if any sugge.-tion that I 

 can make will be instrinnental in pidducing one 

 bushel of wheat, it will, in my opinion, confer a 

 greater benefit on mankind than all the fops and 

 romance writers in the civilized world. In 

 conclusion I would say that I am more capable 

 of learning than of teaching others — !.nd it is to 

 tliis end that my suggestions are really made. 

 I wish most heartily it were otherwise, f<ir I feel 

 that nothing would give me greater jdeasure 

 than to forward the science of agriculture. 

 There is an interest of pleasure, and of profit." 



