410 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



We know that the passage of water through 

 soil of any kind, to some extent, filters the wa- 

 ter and lends to purify it, or in other w«rds the 

 soil takes from the water its elements of fertility. 

 A great advantage of draining is to get from the 

 water the valuable substances which it holds in 

 solution. Some of these exist in rain water 

 when it strikes the earth, and when it falls on 

 well manured land, it dissolves and takes in still 

 more of them. If the water thus saturated with 

 the elements of fertility, runs off of the surface, 

 or i"uns away in shallow drains, it must carry 

 with it the very substances essential to the 

 growth of our crops. The object, then, should be, 

 to free the soil of stagnant water, and to do it in 

 the manner best calculated to extract from the 

 water its valuable properties. This is to be ac- 

 complished by filtering the water through as 

 great a depth of earth as is convenient, within 

 reach of the roots of our crops, and sending it 

 away pure from our field. 



With these principles in view, it is interesting 

 to inquire as to the efi"ect of different soils in fil- 

 tering water. 



Careful investigations of this subject have 

 been made with various objects, as well to ascer- 

 tain the value of drainage water for irrigation, 

 and for the use of cattle and for domestic pur- 

 poses, as with reference to the proper depth of 

 drains. 



In the Report of the General Board of Health 

 of the City of London, we find the recorded opin- 

 ions of the best agriculturists in England and 

 Scotland upon this point. 



Mr. Smith, the father of the Deanston system, 



"The water flowing from drains is generallj' verj' 

 limpid and pure, although at times, when much ma- 

 nure has been recently put upon the land, it is impreg- 

 nated to a considerable degree with soluble matter, 

 and sometimes coloring. It is, nevertheless, usually 

 fit for domestic purposes, and is much prized where 

 there are but few springs, and where the people, pre- 

 vious to the introduction of thorough draining, had to 

 bring the water for domestic purposes from a dis- 

 tance, liy carts, at gi-eat expense. They now form 

 wells to retain a supply of the drainage-water for the 

 dry seasons, by whicli their health and comfort have 

 been greatly promoted. The cattle arc also supplied 

 with wholesome water in the summer." 



Mr. Parkes, whose name carries weight on all 

 subjects connected with drainage, says: 



"The results of my experience tend to show that the 

 water issunig from deep under-drains in land is gener- 

 ally soft, that it is relished for drinking by stock, and 

 approved for household and washing uses in villages 

 and hamlets, where I have had to conduct water from 

 the drainage of land to scito those purposes. The 

 water derived from a shallow system of drainage is 

 often troubled after rain or after the plowing up of 

 fields, and is offensive to the taste and smell after the 

 manuring of lauds. The water of deep drainage is 

 generally perfectly pellucid, and I should consider a 

 drainage to be imperfect, if sand or earthy matter 

 Avcre carried olf from the soil by drains." 



The following testimony in favor of deep 



drainage, by Alex.inder Maccaw, Esq., is from 

 the same source : 



"An instance of the analysis of drainage-water is re- 

 corded in the 'Rural Cyclopedia,' edited by the Rev 

 John Wilson, under the article 'Manures.' 



The depth of drains arc not mentioned, but it may 

 be concluded that they were shallow, probably not 

 more than two feet, the deeper system not then being 

 introduced. 



Three analyses were taken from three specimens o! 

 drainage-water caught from the discharge of subsoii 

 drains of a farm in East Lothian. 



1st. After the drains had been dry for many weeks 

 in Noveml)er, 1844 ; 



2d. On '29th April ; and 



3d. On 16th May, IS 15, Avhen the land had been 

 sown with a grain crop after a winter fallow ; 

 the manure applied to the crop was guano. 



The result shows the quantity of salts and of vege- 

 ble and animal products found in the water to he a 

 very serious affair in respect to the extraction of their 

 valuable fertilizing matters, while their retention in 

 the water rendered it unfit for domestic purposes. In 

 another analysis taken at the same time of the turl)id 

 water from the surfoce of the same land, the results 

 appear to have been little different from those of the 

 water from the subsoil drains. 



I have no doubt that by the process of thorough 

 deep drainage a considerable portion of valualile fer- 

 tilizing matters may be extracted with water from the 

 lands, but not a tithe of what would be carried off by 

 water from the same soil previous to drainage." 



Edw.\rd Scott, Esq., gives the following as 



the result of his observations : 



"Water that flows from deep drains is more pure 

 and clear than that from shallow drains. Water from 

 shallow drains frequently carries away the salts, vege- 

 table and animal products, contained in the manure 

 applied to land, which is very apparent where gooi, 

 farm-yard manure has licen laid on fallow, and heavy 

 raius follow immediately after." 



It is ascertained that neither rain water nor the 

 water of streams or rivers, nor the water of deep 

 springs or wells, is ever found entirely pure. Its 

 impurity results from its power of holding in so- 

 lution many substances, of washing them out of 

 the soil and plants, and even out of rocks. Vari- 

 ous means have been adopted to filter the water 

 of streams for domestic uses. The water of the 

 Seine is extensively used after a process of this 

 kind, for such purposes, in Paris. 



Of soils, open gravel and sand have probably 

 the least power of.divesting water of its impurity. 

 Clay, both because of the closeness of its structure, 

 and because of its chemical affinities for sub- 

 stances usually held in solution by rain water, or 

 washed out of manured land, passes the water in 

 a purer state. 



It is obviously of no consequence to the farmer 

 what becomes of his manure after it has sunk be- 

 yond the reach of the roots of his crops, whether 

 it goes down to the centre of the earth, or runs 

 away in drains. It is important, however, to ar- 

 rest it, at any depth, where it may be rendered 

 available. Mr. Mechi, of Tiptree Hall, England, 

 says that, irrigating his land with liquid manures, 

 he has frequently caused the drains at five feet 

 in strong clays to discharge the colored liquid ! 

 This shows that he wastefully applied his manure, 



