858 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



eels the Tuberose in the puritj' of its bloom 

 and the ex(|uisite delicacy of its perfume. 



The AnutnjUls J'ormu.sis.sima, or Jacobean 

 Lily is a beautiful bulb, which gi'ows from ten 

 to twelve inches high and bears two flowers 

 on its stem of most peculiar shape, and of the 

 richest crimson color. They bloom in August 

 and September, and should be treated like the 

 Gladiolus. 



The common white Day Lily is more lovely 

 to us tlian its more brightly blooming sisters. 

 Its snowy white flowers open every morning, 

 freighted with the rarest fragrance and une- 

 qualled in purity and beauty. 



We have mentioned only a few of the sum- 

 mer Flowering Bulbs, and those most com- 

 monly cultivated. The catalogues oiFer us a 

 long list of rich rarities, both in colorings and 

 perfume. 



"Look at the lilies, how they grow I 

 'Twas thus the Savior said, that we, 

 E'en in the simplest flowers that blow, 

 God's own watchful care might see." s. o. J. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 DRAINAGE. 



In looking over my file of New Exglaxd 

 Farmers, (Monthly for 1870, page 419,) I 

 see the letter of ISIr. John L. Jones of Ripley, 

 Me., asking for information in relation to 

 underground drainage of land that has a tight 

 pan subsoil. Having had some little experi- 

 ence in the draining of land, I beg to offer a 

 few remarks, and if too late to be of service 

 to the in<iuirer, it may assist some other 

 brother, farmer whose land wants draining. 



There are lots of farming pamphleteers, 

 some of whom know about as nuich of the 

 practical part of drainage or farming as an 

 ass does of sin'pe-catching, — their object being 

 to sell their books. But give me the writings 

 of a practical farmer who is not ashamed to 

 sign his name in full at the end of the article 

 he writes in any paper. 



Judge French\s Work on Drainage may he 

 an excellent work ; but he can't seem to (juite 

 understand stone draining. With all due def- 

 erence to that gentleman's judgment, as also to 

 that of the worthy editor, I cannot but differ 

 in opinion with both. In the first ])lace, 

 Judge French must think but very poorly of 

 farmer's common sense to imagine any one 

 who knows peas from beans would ever think 

 of })utting in a drain only a foot deep. 



From the tenor of Mr. Jones' letter, he is 

 for economy as well as durability, and to go 

 upon Judge French's plan, would be pretty 

 near as expensive as having draining pipe or 

 tile by railroad. To say the least of it, it could 

 not be done without some considerable extra 

 expens<.' that would be altogether useless in a 

 stone drain. Then to talk of filling in with 

 shavings. Farmers have not always planing 

 mills tipon their farms, — at least not up in 

 this Western country, — to supply such a com- 



modity, and which would in a short time rot 

 out and the soil sink that thickness. 



Perhaps Juilge French is not aware that if 

 a drain is dug four or five feet deep in hard 

 tight pan, as it is called, and the soil thrown 

 in again without stones, poles, tiles, or any- 

 thing else, that that land for several feet on 

 either side, will drain to a great degree, 

 though not sufficiently to insure good crops 

 in wet seasons. But if stones are thrown into 

 the drain and adjusted a little, with small 

 stones scattered on the top to fill in the aper- 

 tures between larger ones, and if there is only 

 a very trifling fall, a permanent drain is se- 

 cured, one tliat will last for years, — I may 

 say for generations to come, and drain the 

 land elfcctually from eight to ten feet on each 

 side. These need no shavings, no hay, no 

 nothing. The soil will naturally set in solid 

 on the stones as well as on shavings. So far 

 from the small stones being injurious — they 

 would be beneficial, by helping tlie drainage. 



Neither do I agree with our worthy editor 

 in respect to the smaller stones being a nest- 

 ling place for moles. I don't just see the 

 point. 1 think that the moles would have 

 better working stuff in the hay, shavings, or 

 turf. Possibly the water may flow down 

 through the mole holes for a short time into 

 the stones below, but they would soon fill up, 

 but not be so likely to stop the drainage as if 

 made according to Judge French's plan of a 

 duct or culvert. 



When tiles and stones are not easily get-at- 

 able, land can be drained with ]ioles, which 

 will last for many years. I have drained with 

 six or more poles and find it to answer. I 

 put in the bottom of the drain three poles or 

 young oak trees, with the roots on, then lay 

 two and then one, placing them in the drain 

 with their end down hill, putting at the outlet 

 some roots with pole cut off, to keep the 

 mouth of drain open. With regard to the 

 course the drains should run. If the land 

 falls from north to south and east to west, it 

 matters not if some drains are put in each 

 way so they can empty freely. In some 

 cases a larger receiving-drain is needed to 

 conduct and carry off the water from the 

 smaller drains. John Wiiatmore. 



Bridgnorih Farm, III., 1871. 



Remarks. — Our correspondent evidently 

 misapprehends the directions of Judge French. 

 We conclude that an unfortunate sentence of 

 ours misled him. We, not Judge French, 

 made the remark, that, — 



"A drain between three and four feet deep 

 will be more sure to carry the water freely, 

 and will be much more permanent, than one 

 laid afoot or more Ze.s-s." 



Instead of intending to recommend drams 

 "only a foot deep," as friend Whatmore 

 seems to have understood us, we wanted to 



