42 AUSTRALIAN AGRICOLT-URE. 



it remains wet until evaporation has dried it up, and it 

 becomes hard like brick earth. The effect is destructive to 

 vegetation. Evaporation from the surface is unhealthy for 

 vegetable and animal life. It produces cold, and the land 

 is chilled below the vegetating point. Putrefaction in such 

 a soil takes the place of that more perfect oxidation which 

 brings about the healthy change so needful for healthy 

 cultivation. 



The case shown in the first illustration in this chapter 

 is that of a section of what is now a prosperous plantation 

 in the Richmond River district, which was barren until 

 drained. There was a good coating of loam (a), but under 

 it was a layer of clay (6), through which rain water could 

 not pass. Consequently the land suffered badly from frost 

 and during wet and diy spells. Several crops of cane 

 were lost. The surface soil was in a state of mud during 

 wet weather, it baked hard as soon as the water on the 

 surface was evaporated. But the trouble was cured by 

 putting in drains of slabs (e) in 4ft. lengths. They are 

 3ft. below the surface. The cost was 6s. 4d. per chain, 

 and the draining converted what was a deceptive, 

 dangerous flat into rich loamy soil. 



Draining has developed an immense variety of tools of 

 the spade, or wedge and lever type, to every one of which 

 the features apply of quality and weight and material 

 dealt with in the treatment of spades and digging tools 

 generally. Draining itself has opened out other develop- 

 ments in the science of agriculture. Prior to 1750 it seems 

 to have been scarcely known that water in the soil is only 

 beneficial to agriculture while it is in a state of move- 

 ment. Stagnant water is known to be injurious to 

 vegetation, to crops, to grasses, and the animals upon or 

 near where the water stagnates. When this fact became 

 evident to the advanced British agriculturist of 100 years 

 ago and there were some advanced men in those times 

 open ditches were made to carry off the stagnating water, 

 and during some twenty years open drains and ditches were 

 supposed to answer all the purpose. Then another 

 advance was made by laying stones, wood, &c., in the 

 lower part of the drains, filling in the soil, and cultivating 



