No 216.] 793 



J. S. Skinner, Editor of the Farmers's Library. In obedience to 

 the invitation of the Club, I am here prepared to say something on 

 the subject of draining lands-— ar.d I think that the subject prepared 

 for discussion should be taken up first and that all the miscellaneous 

 matter should then follow. I am so unfortunate as to my hearing, 

 that I lose all the benefit of the remarks made by gentlemen. 



Col. Skinner then read a paper prepared by him on the subject 

 of drainage, — premising that his object was to point to the existing 

 sources of knowledge on this subject which abound in the most full 

 and perlect manner in the invaluable essays of Von Thaer and in 

 Stephens' Book of the Farm— whose instructions he had transferred 

 to his Farmers' Library. 



Col. Skinner observed that all of any great value on the subject 

 was comprised in some fifteen pages. Draining and irrigation have 

 been practiced in all ages and countries, by East Indians and Peru- 

 vians, by ancient and modern. The object of draining is to dry the 

 soil Irrigation to give it required moisture. Col. S advised that 

 draining or irrigation should never be attempted unlevSS it was tho- 

 roughly done, — otherwise all the cost would be thrown away. He 

 had as editor of the American Farmer nearly thirty years ago, tho- 

 roughly discussed these subjects. He had heard objections to Ag- 

 ricultural Books as visionary and impracticable. This was a great 

 error. He expressed the opinion that this Club, the New York 

 Agricultural Association, the State Agricultural Society, and all the 

 friends of agriculture in the union, should combine in demanding 

 from Congress some provisions for the diffusion of agricultural 

 knowledge, among the rising generation, at an expense if needed 

 somewhat relative to the expense of war. Let me here state the 

 relative cost of governments in this respect. 



Austria pays out of her revenues 33 per cent for war. 

 France " 38 do. 



Prussia " 44 do. 



Great Britain " 74 do. 



United States " 80 do. 



Col. Skinner said as to Stephen's Book of the Farm, the whole 

 subject of draining illustrated by fifty engravings, was contained in 

 about eighty pages. 



In the conduct of the Farmer^' Library by me the publishers 

 Messrs. Greely & McElrath, instruct me to spare.no necessary ex- 

 pense in rendering it as complete as possible, for those gentlemen 

 do not aim at reaping any profit from its publication but desire only 



