1863. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



271 



time, blossoms and brings fruit after its own kind. 

 Throughout its whole life, from the dropping of 

 the seed, to the final harvest, is it under the influ- 

 ence, and effected by the condition of the soil and 

 the atmosphere, and these in a measure are under 

 the control of the farmer. How important that 

 he should know the extent of his power and how 

 to use it ! This should be our great study. 



Thorough draining is one of the greatest means 

 to promote the full and healthy development of 

 the latent powers of the soil, by its rendering ad- 

 missible every atmospheric fertilizing agency. 



Carbonic acid, ammonia and water yield most 

 of the elements for all the organs of plants. 



Salts and metallic oxides serve peculiar functions 

 in their organism, and many of them are necessa- 

 ry for their growth and perfect maturity. Let us 

 see from what and in what manner these are tak- 

 en by tlie plant. Perhaps we can render them 

 some assistance by draining. 



Our soil is composed of the debris of rocks and 

 of partly decomposed vegetable mould, together 

 with whatever we may please to give it in the way 

 of manure. From the decomposition of those, 

 the plants obtain most of their food. From the 

 vegetable mould they obtain carbonic acid and 

 ammonia, and from the rocks, salts and oxides. 

 This decomposition cannot go on without oxygen, 

 and this must be obtained from the atmosphere. 

 In a soil to which air has but little access, the re- 

 mains of animals and vegetables do not decay, for 

 they can only do so when supplied freely with oxy- 

 gen. They undergo putrefaction, which is ex- 

 ceedingly injurious, and often destructive to the 

 plants in their immediate vicinity. 



If the soil is saturated with water, the air has 

 but little access, and the plants growing thereon 

 go hungry. 



In the beginning of a rain or snow storm, a large 

 amount of ammonia is carried down to the snil 

 from the atmosphere. If the soil is already satu- 

 rated with moisture, the rain is not admitted, but 

 runs off upon the surface, and the plants lose the 

 benefit of it. In stagnant waier in the soil, nox- 

 ious substances accumulate that are often iiijurious 

 to plants. Thorough draining only can remedy 

 all these difficulties. 



Thorough draining produces effects that are 

 equivalent to a change of climate. Our growing 

 seasons, here in New England, are already too 

 short for the perfect maturity of muny of our crops. 

 Anything that shortens them must be an injury. 

 Wet, underch'ained land, cannot be worked upon 

 till very late in the spring. It is so cold that i; 

 takes a long time to get it sufficiently warm to 

 promote the growth of vegetation ; the land is 

 frozen to a much greater depth, requiring a longer 

 time to thaw. Water is the only exce|)tion in na- 

 ture, I believe, to the law that matter becomes 

 more dense by cold, and expands by heat ; it is 

 most dense at about 40°, and expands l)oth ways 

 from this point. If land is saturated with water 

 in winter, as it freezes it expands, and causes the 

 land to heave. Small trees are often in this way 

 thrown out of the ground, and many of our bien- 

 nial and perennial crops injured, or entirely win- 

 ter-killed. 



Water passes from our undrained land almost 

 entirely by evaporation. We often hear farmers 

 speak of land as cold, and for that reason almost 

 worthless. It in cold, and so is the atmosphere in 



itH immediate vicinity colder than in the immedi- 

 ate vicinity of dry land. Frost will bo seen much 

 sooner in the autumn, and tlie growth of plants 

 the sooner checked. 



The cold is occasioned by the heat becoming la- 

 tent in the vapor formed by the evaporation of 

 water upon the surface of the soil. Evaporation 

 is one of the most chilling processes in nature. 

 Remove the surplus water from the soil and tiie 

 climate is changed. 



Thorough draining helps evaporation from the 

 leaves. Water is one of the most important ele- 

 ments in the food of ])lants. Besides entering 

 largely into their composition, it also acts an im- 

 portant part as a vehicle through which solubl" 

 matter found in our soil is conveyed into the sys- 

 tem of growing plants. Yet too great a supply is 

 injurious to them. Much of the water thus taken 

 up passes into the atmosjjhere through the leaves 

 by evaporation from their surface, leaving the so- 

 luble matter in the plants. But a limited amount 

 of water can be thus evaporated. An excess of 

 water weakens the solution, and of course, the 

 plant gets less nourishment. This evaporation is 

 essential to the growth of plants, and anything 

 that checks it must be injurious. The air, at a 

 given temperature, can contain but a limited 

 amount of moisture. The warmer the air, the 

 more moisture it will hold. If the land is too 

 moist, the air is soon saturated by the large sur- 

 face exposed, and mujh less is taken from the 

 leaves. In this rapid evaporation, much heat be- 

 comes latent. The heat must be taken from the 

 surrounding atmosphere, thus cooling it to a con- 

 siderable extent, and tiiis couling lessens the evap- 

 oration from tlie leaves. Plants growing under 

 such circumstances are much more tender and suc- 

 culent, and are not ahle to witlistand the colds of 

 winter. Fruit loses much of its fine flavor, and 

 will often burst from excess of moisture. This we 

 have seen happen to the grape and plum in wet 

 seasons. 



The excess of moisture in plants forces a great- 

 er growth of leaves, and ill-formed shoots, inste;ui 

 of flowers and fruit. If the water is in great ex- 

 cess, it changes the color of the leaves to a sickly 

 yellow. Soon the vegetable tissue enters into a 

 state of decomposition and the ])lant dies. 



Remove the surplus water, and evaporation 

 from the leaves is increased ; the plant belter fed, 

 the fruit more palatable, and the wood the better 

 able to withstand the severities of winter. 



Thorough draining, in a measure, prevents 

 drought. During the spring and early \).ivl of 

 summer, the roots of plants are ke t from going 

 down deep into the s()ii of wet, undrained land, 

 by contact wit i the water — when the dry we ither 

 comes on, the water recedes l)ut it is too I ile for 

 roots to follow, and if they ilid, tiie soil is not a 

 condi ion to furnish them food. They have but 

 a shallow root and are soon injured. 



Soil well dr.aned l>ecomcs much more finely 

 pulverized — capillary attraction acts with most 

 power m smallest spaces —a finely pulvei izL-d soil 

 the better draws up »he moisture from t!ie sub- 

 soil, and the better holds a suliicient quantity to 

 sustain j)lants through a severe drought. 



In a dry time, the soil upon undrained lands is 

 hard and uii|)ulverizo(l. While the soil is in this 

 condition, neither air nor moisture can be imWiljed 

 to any extent. The evening dew is taken up 



