UNDERDRAINING. 15T 



In reclaiming the earth to man's use, the first objects of his 

 labor are the destruction of noxious and mischievous animals, 

 the levelling of forests, the construction of habitations and the 

 draining of morasses. This is the mission of the pioneer. The 

 generations that follow have other and more important improve- 

 ments to make, as the soil is annually impoverished by cropping. 



In commencing the important operation of deep and thorough 

 draining, the first thing to be attended to is, to provide deep and 

 clear channels, into which the covered drains are to discharge 

 their water. Unless such can be made it will be of little use to 

 underdrain. The whole outlay of draining hinges on having 

 good discharging channels. If the bottom of the main ditch, 

 channel, or drains, brook or river, be scarcely below the bottom 

 of the covered drains, they will be rendered almost ineffective. 

 The main drain, or the one into which the lesser ones discharge, 

 should be five, and if possible six feet deep, provided the former 

 are four feet deep. Too much precaution can hardly be used 

 in keeping these main drains free from all obstructions. Let 

 these once become gorged and the whole will suffer damage. 



But the advocate for deep and thorough drainage is constantly 

 confronted by intelligent farmers — " What is drainage, and 

 how or why is it so important, as you claim it is, to permanent 

 improvements ? " It is right that such questions should be put, 

 and the advocates for drainage should be able to answer them 

 and all similar inquiries, or else tarry awhile longer at Jericho. 



The first reason or necessity for drainage is predicated of the 

 supposition or fact, that the soil and subsoil are charged with an 

 excess of water, rendering it impossible to produce maximum 

 crops until it be removed. The first evil is mechanical. If the 

 soil be clayey and tenacious the circulation of the air through 

 it is prevented and it remains cold and sour, and is less 

 productive. This complaint is made by the tillers of such land 

 every cold and wet spring, because they cannot plant or sow ; 

 and if they do not withhold the hand by reason of the wet, in 

 consequence of the stagnant water in the soil, it produces but a 

 poor crop. 



The words, ivet and cold, are significant, thus applied. 

 Evaporation is productive of cold, says the chemist, a fact the 

 farmer knew before chemistry came to his aid. Evaporation, 

 then, it will be admitted, lowers the temperature at the earth's 



