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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



commonly produced by the first of these causes, 

 but in a variety ot' situations, it may proceed 

 fronn the latter.* But, 



The principles of Mr. I'.llvinglon's art are so 

 closely connected with Ihe nature of springs, 

 that, without a knowledare of tlie=p, ami the 

 causes producin;^ them, it is impos-ihie to prac- 

 tice it either with success or sdvantage ; for 

 surface dniiiiiiig, where the wetness proceeds 

 from subjacent water, is ordy ilieviatiu^ the 

 effect, in place of removing the cause. It will, 

 therefore, be necessary, in Ihe first place, so 

 far to ascertain the nature of springs, and their 

 connrction with the fcirmatiun of bogs, as to 

 enaljle the practical drainer more easily to com- 

 prehend the theoretical part of Mr. Elkington's 

 system. 



From its general external appearance, and by 

 the perloratiiins that have been made in it by 

 quarries, well.s, and otlier subterraneous pits, 

 the earth is known to be composed of various 

 strata; which, being in their niture of opposite 

 consistence, are distinguished by the names of 

 porous and iinpemotis. Thosj strata, which, 

 from their more open composi'ion, are porous, 

 and capable ol' r^'ceiving the rain that falls on 

 them, mclude rock, gravel, sand, and such marls 

 as are of an absorbent quality. C'l.;y, and a cer- 

 tain kind ol gravel, having a ptopoiticu of clay 

 in its composition, which, by binding and ce- 

 menting the small stones togeth( r, render it 

 equally close and tenacious as cltiy il^elf ; with 

 siicli rock as is of a close and compact nature, 

 without any tissures in it, are the principal 

 strata that most resist the reception uf wate.-, 

 and that are capable of retaining it, on their 

 surface, till exhaled by the sun, or carried oli 

 by suitable drains, and are termed impervious. 



Springs, therefore, originate from rain water 

 falling upon such porous and absorbent surfaces, 

 and subsiding downwards, through such, till, in 

 jcs passage, it meets a body ef clay, or other im- 

 penetrable substance, which obstructs its far- 

 ther descent; and here, forming a re.servoir, or 

 considerable collection of water, it is forced 

 either to filtrate along such body, or rise to 

 some part of the suriace, where it oozes out 

 in all those difterent appearances that are so 

 frequently met with. This is evident from the 

 immediate disappearance of the rain water, as 

 it falls on some parts of the ground, while it 

 remains stagnated on others, till carried oil by 

 rva|)oration ; and tVom the strength of springs 

 being greater in wet than dry seasons. Hence, 

 after incessant rains, they are observed to break 

 out in higher situations, and as the weather be- 

 comes dryer, give over running out, unless at 

 their lower outlets. The strength of springs al- 

 so, or (juantity of water, issuing froiM them, de- 

 pends chietly on the extent of high ground that 

 receives and retains the rain, I'orniing large res- 

 ervoirs, which nlford them a more regular sup- 

 ply. Thus bogsprings, or such as rise in valleys 

 and low situations, are much stronger, and have 



* Wetness of land is sometimes occasioned by the 

 stignation of water In Uie surroundin:^ ditches, or in 

 soiue adjoiriinj hollow, where, lor want of declivity in 

 the former, and owing to the tiigher situation of the 

 latter, it oozes out upon the lower ground, and finds 

 its way into the open parts of the soil. 'J'his is fre- 

 quently the case, where water is conveyed in a lead 

 or artilicial channel, the land lying lower and adjoin- 

 ing to it, being very often wet from that cause. The 

 remedy for these kinds of wetnesses is simple, and 

 points out itself. 



'a more regular discharge, than those which 

 break out on higher ground, or on the sides of 

 I hills. 



Independently of these causes, there are ce^ 

 ! tainly great springs contained in the bowels cf 

 the earth, otherwise, how could tlie many riot- 

 ers that intersect it, be su[)idied with such vaj 

 quantities of water as they discharge, the rainf 

 falling on its surface, or the dews that descend; 

 not being adequate lor that jmrpose ; but, as 

 this may be considered among those arcana o( 

 nature which have not yet been sufficiently ex- 

 plored, and lying at too great a depth to afTecl 

 the surface, it comes not within the limits o( 

 the present inquiry. 



With the nature and cause of springs, that q^ 

 bogs is intimately connected ; for where springs 

 breaking out in the manner above descriWed, 

 run over a flat surface of clay, and cannot get 

 off with sufKcient rapidity, or are not confinet' 

 to a narrow channel, the superabundance of 

 water must cause the dissolution of all the coarse 

 vegetables it produces, which together with 

 part of the natural soil itself", are formed into a 

 peat earth, every year increasing in depth; anc" 

 the extent ol such bog, or morass, is accordinf 

 j to the quantity of water, and to that of the fl<i 

 {ground on which it is formed.* The great oL- 

 iject of Mr. Elkington's system, is that of drain- 

 ing such bogs, by cutting off entirely the source 

 of the springs or subterraneous water which 

 causes the wetness, either by flowing over the 

 surface, or by its being long confined under it. 

 If the springs have a natural outlet, the object of 

 the drain is, to lower and enlarge it, which, by 

 giving the water a more free and easy channel, 

 will soon discharge and draw it off; or wiU re- 

 duce it to a level so far below the surface as to 

 prevent its overf3owing it. 



Where the springs have no apparent outlet, 

 but are either confined so far below the surface, 

 as to injure it by constant moisture, or by oozing 

 out imperceptibly through any small pores of 

 the ujiper soil ; tlie object of the drain is, to 

 g.ve a proper vent to that water, and to extract 

 more quickly and more effectually what has be- 

 fore been pent up in the bosom of the soil. The 

 object of the auger, which, in many instance^ 

 is the sine qua non of the busine.ss, is simply to 

 reach or tup the spring, and to give vent to the 

 water thus pent up, when the depth of the 

 rain does not reach it, where Ihe level of the 

 outlet will not admit its being cut to that depth, 

 i'.nd where the expense of cutting so deep would 

 be very great, and the execution of it very dif- 

 ficult. 



According to these principles, this system of 

 draining has been attended with extraordinary 

 consequences in the course of 3Ir. Elkington's 

 practice, which shall be more fully explained 

 in the subsequent part of this report. By it, 

 not only the land hi the immediate vicinity ol' 

 the drain, but also springs, wells and wet grouml, 

 at a considerable distance, have been made dry, 



te»« 

 boie. 

 oiiii; 



with which there was no apparent communicaf 

 tion. 



As the whole depends upon the situation o 

 the ground to be drained and the nature and in 

 clination of the strata of which the adjacent conn 

 try is composed ; as much knowledge as possi 

 ble must be obtained of these, before the propei 

 course of a drain can be ascertained, or any spe 

 cific rules given for its direction or execution 

 But all these circumstances will be more partic '"-' 

 ularly explained in describing the parts of the '^ 

 operation with which they are connected. 



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*.VIany and various are the ronjeclures respecting 

 the origin of pi at bogs; into the merits of which, it 

 would be needless to inquire. Some suppose them to 

 have b( eu formed at the time of the geneial <leluge from 

 the huge trees Ihat are found in tliein, and from a vari- 

 ety of other circumslanccs that led to that supposition ; 

 but it is not so much the subject of thij treatise to ex- 

 plain their probable origin, as the nieaas by which 

 springs or other accumulated water may be most ea- 

 .sily cut oil", from preserving them in their present uu- 

 productivg state. 



From the American Farmer. 

 THF. HESS1.\.N FLY. 



This destructive insect is propagated from 

 the eggs of the fly deposited on the grains of 

 wheat when ripening; the truth of which I 

 learned from actual observations. The fly may 

 be seen by the middle of June, and from that 

 time till wheat is cut, flying about and lightino- 

 upon ears of wheat. It deposits its eggs upon 

 the onter ends of the grain, where they may be 

 seen xvith a good microscope or optic glass — .L 

 sometimes lo the number of six or seven on onei" 

 grain. 



They remain there till the grain is sown. — 

 The warmth necessary to produce vegetation 

 is sufficient to animate the insect. It bursts its 

 shell and enters the shoot, where it lies in a 

 torpid state till the next spring, except in some 

 instances when wheat is sown early, the fly 

 commences its ravages in the fall ; when this is 

 discovered, the best method is lo turn sheep 

 upon it and pasture it short either in the fall or 

 in Ihe winter. 



The most effectual way to check the propa- 

 gation, is in preparing the seed before sown, 

 which should be in the following manner : — ■ 

 Put your seed into a hogshead, tub or vat, and 

 cover it with water; let it stand ten or twelve 

 hours; then put off the water, put the wheat 

 ] upon a barn floor and sprinkle lime over, and 

 ^ with a shovel mix it till it is well covered with 

 j lime. Let it remain in that state about twenty- 

 four hours, and the eggs will be destroyed with- 

 out any injury to the seed. 



The following brief sketch of the observa- 

 tions which led to the discovery abovemention- 

 ed, is given, that all who wish to be satisfied of 

 the truth of it, may have ocular demonstration 

 of the fact, if they will take the trouble. On 

 viewing several grains of wheat in a micros- 

 cnpe, something resembling the eggs of insects 

 was observed upon them : twenty grains were 

 selected with those appearances; they were 

 put upon some raw cotton and a little earth in 

 a tumbler of water, and observed every day ; 

 and on the day the grain opened and put forth 

 its tender hbre, the insect burst from its shell 

 and was not to be seen. 



Ten days after, live of the grains with their 

 roots and blades were taken from the glass and 

 carefully examined. In three of them Ihe in- 

 sects were found. The other fifteen remained, 

 and overspread the fop of the glass. They were 

 preserved till sjiring, when, on examining, eve- 

 ry stalk had an insect in it, some two and one 

 four. 



Twenty other grains were selected, and the 

 lime applied for twelve hours. It was then 

 wa.-lied, anii the color of the eggs was changed, 

 and being put into a glass in like manner as the 

 other, the wheat gfrcw, but the eggs did not 



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