PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



The Drainage of Grass Land 



It is beyond the scope of this work to treat the subject of 

 drainage exhaustively. But while giving a few practical hints 

 on draining operations, I propose to refer to some of the laws 

 which render it impossible to maintain a first-class pasture 

 unless land is properly drained either by natural or by 

 artificial means. 



An impression widely prevails that, however necessary 

 effectual drainage may be for other farm crops, grass land 

 may with impunity be left undrained. This is only one part 

 of the tradition of carelessness which former generations have 

 handed down concerning pastures. No one who is accustomed 

 to examine water-logged meadows can fail to be impressed by 

 the worthless character of the herbage they produce. If there 

 were no cure, or the expense of the remedy were out of pro- 

 portion to the benefit to be derived from it, apathy might be 

 excusable. But as to the greater part of the undrained grass 

 land which is now lying in a comparatively unprofitable con- 

 dition through stagnant Mater, there is no doubt that the 

 vegetation can be immensely improved in quality. Drainage 

 of pastures has never been known to be other than beneficial ; 

 and in most instances the quantity of hay or feed will also be 

 greatly augmented, although from some land already yield- 

 ing a large bulk of herbage of a low quality the increase after 

 draining may not be immediately apparent. The total bulk 

 may even be temporarily diminished. But the loss will be 



