20 



narrow, and tiles are of much cheaper transportation 

 than stone would be. But the result is so important, 

 as well to justify the expense. It is estimated that 

 this thorough draining adds often twenty per cent to 

 the production of the wheat crop. A beautiful ex- 

 ample came under his observation in Nottingham- 

 shire, not long before he left England. A gentleman 

 was showing him his grounds for next year's crop of 

 wheat. On one side of the lane, where the land had 

 been drained, the wheat was already up, and grow- 

 ing luxuriantly ; on the other, where the land was 

 subject to no other disadvantage, than that it had not 

 been drained, it was still too wet to be sowed at all. 

 It may be thought singular enough, but it was doubt- 

 less true, that on stiff clayey lands, thorough draining 

 is as useful in dry, hot summers, as in cold and wet 

 summers ; for such land, if a wet winter or spring 

 be suddenly followed by hot and dry weather, is apt 

 to become hard and baked, so that the roots of plants 

 cannot enter it. Thorough draining, by giving an 

 opportunity to the water on the surface to be con- 

 stantly escaping, corrects this evil. Draining can 

 never be needed to so great an extent in Massachu- 

 setts, as in England and Scotland, from the different 

 nature of the soil ; but we have yet quantities of low 

 meadow lands, producing wild, harsh, sour grasses, 

 or producing nothing, which, there is little doubt, 

 might be rendered most profitable hay fields, by be- 

 ing well drained.* When we understand better the 

 importance of concentrating labor, instead of scatter- 



* See Appendix,— Note D. 



