No. 129.J 177 



more sand in our soil take the whole surface of our country, 

 than they have in Great Britain. This is of a hotter and more 

 drying nature than clay, and aids the sun materially in evapora- 

 ting moisture ; it is also more loose and porous, water runs 

 through it easier and either passes off on the surface or near it, 

 or runs down into the earth and is carried off, oi lost in chan- 

 nels of considerable depth. Land called uplands or lying pret- 

 ty high, cannot pay for underdraining them admitting they pro- 

 duce some more, will this increased production pay for thorough 

 draining a farm of some size with drains several miles in length^ 

 It is said land holds manure better, it retains moisture longer, 

 stands droughts better, admits from that great store house of 

 manure, the atmosphere, some of its valuable ingredients into 

 its bosom, ammonia, carbon, nitrogen kQ., keeps and imparts 

 these to plants as they want them. All these descend from the 

 Heavens into the surface of the earth and remain there, for the 

 use of plants with sub-soil ploughing, pulverization and proper 

 tillage generally. Nor do we think a half dozen miles of good 

 pipe and tile draining on a good upland farm, without excessive 

 moisture at a cost of from $25 to $35 per acre, would do this 

 more effectually ; at any rate not so effectual as to remu- 

 nerate the farmer for his outlay, which is here* put down at 

 rather a moderate rate whatever may be said to its being done 

 much cheaper. There is nothing in the material of these pipes 

 or tile, placed from 3 to 5 feet under ground and well covered 

 with earth, to attract these gaseous manures from the atmo- 

 atmosphere and retain them more powerfully than a good sub- 

 soil, well pulverized without them. Carbon, hydrogen and am- 

 monia, come down from the regions above in the daily oppera- 

 tions of nature, and have done so from time immemorial and 

 probably will continue to do so ; rain, snow and hail, bring 

 them down, and dews as they rise up from the earth in the 

 shape of vapor, are condensed and fall back upon it at little lower 

 temperature in a liquid state ; these contain more or less gaseous 

 manures and contribute their aid from the great store house, the 

 atmosphere, to enrich the earth. Some earths benefit more by 

 these extraneous supplies than others, according to the state they 

 [Assembly, No. 129. j 12 



