48 
FENCING. 
soil, which are essential to vegetable production. 
The porosi+y of the land thus secured, facilitates 
the admission and escape of heat, which last con¬ 
dition is of the utmost consequence in promoting 
the deposition of dews. 
The dense mass of saturated soil is impervious to 
air, and remains cold and clammy. By draining it 
below the soil, the warm rains penetrate the entire 
mass, and there diffuse their genial temperature to 
the roots. Immediately pressing after these, the 
warm air rushes in, and supplies its portion of 
augmented heat to the land. Porous soils thus 
readily imbibe heat, and they as readily part with 
it; every portion of their open surfaces radiating 
it, when the air in contact with them is below their j 
own temperature. This condition is precisely what! 
is adapted to secure the deposit of the dews, so re¬ 
freshing, and during a season of drought, so abso¬ 
lutely vital to the progress of vegetation. Dew can 
only be found on surfaces which are below the 
temperature of the surrounding air, and rapid radia¬ 
tion of the heat imbibed during the warmth of a 
summer’s day, is necessary to secure it in sufficient 
profusion for the demands of luxuriant vegetation 
in the absence of frequent showers. 
An insensible deposit of moisture, precisely 
analogous to dew, is constantly going forward in 
deep, rich, porous soils. Wherever the air pene¬ 
trates them at a higher temperature than the soils 
themselves possess,, it not only imparts to them a 
portion of its excess of heat, but with it also, so 
much of its combined moisture as its thus lessened 
capacity for retaining latent heat compels it to par 
with. To the reflecting mind, imbued with even 
the first principles of science, these considerations 
will be justly deemed as of the highest consequence 
to the rapid and luxuriant growth, and full develop¬ 
ment of vegetable life. 
Another essential benefit, derivable from un¬ 
drained lands, consists in the advantageous use fencing appeared originally in the South Caroli 
which can be made of the subsoil plow. It there ■ - - - - - 
be no escape for the moisture, which may have 
settled below the surface, the subsoil plow has been 
found to be . injurious rather than beneficial. By 
loosening the earth it admits a larger deposit of 
water, which requires a longer time for evaporation 
and insensible drainage to discharge. When the 
water escapes freely, however, the use of the sub¬ 
soil plow is attended with the most beneficial re- 
an enlarged range for the roots of plants, and 
in proportion to its extent, furnishes them with ad¬ 
ditional means of growth. The farmer thus has a 
means of augmenting his soil and its capacity for 
production, wholly independent of increasing his 
superficial acres ; for with most crops it matters not 
in the quantity of their production, whether he owns 
and cultivates 100 acres of soil, one foot deep, or 
200 acres of soil, half a foot in depth. With the 
latter, however, he has to provide twice the capital 
in the first purchase, is at twice the cost in fencing, 
planting, and tillage, and pays twice the taxes as 
with the former. In a season of drought, the un¬ 
drained and subsoiled fields have the further advan¬ 
tage of security and steady development, from the 
roots penetrating far below the scorching effects of 
the sun,, and having the benefit of the ascending 
moisture from below, from their remotest depth to 
the surface, which frequently secures to them a 
large yield, while all around is parched and 
withered. 
A more enlarged and general, or what may justly 
be termed, a patriotic or philanthropic view of this 
system, will readily detect considerations of great 
moment, in the general healthfulness of climate 
which would result from the drainage of large 
masses of land, which are now saturated, or in 
many instances covered with stagnant waters, and 
which are suffered to pollute the atmosphere by 
their pestilent exhalations. 
It is to be hoped that some of our enterprising 
and wealthy agriculturists will embark in this sys¬ 
tem, with what light is now shed upon it by 
European experience, and give to the American 
public the full benefit of their experiments. And 
should these be successful, American ingenuity 
should be stimulated to the perfecting of such ma¬ 
chinery as would materially reduce the cost of ex¬ 
cavating, and the manufacture of pipes in the most 
approved, economical and durable manner. For 
this object, or even for the purpose of introducing 
the system, I would suggest that our State Agricul¬ 
tural Society, the American Institute, or other 
patriotic associations, at once offer suitable rewards 
for the best machines for making ditches, and for 
the most successful examples of underdraining. 
R. L. Allen. 
Buffalo, O-ct. 30 , 1845. 
P.. S. I understand several of our enterprising 
citizens have made a beginning in underdraining, 
and I trust for the good oi their brethren in the 
same honorable craft, they will give to the public 
the results of their experiments. 
The principal part of the following articles on 
nian, and are now copied out with emendations by 
the distinguished writer for our periodical. Great¬ 
ly lessening the number of fences, and obliging 
people to keep up their domestic animals, or if they 
range abroad furnish shepherds to take good care 
of them, and see that they injure no man, is a re¬ 
form which we have dearly at heart. W e bespeak 
for these articles the earnest attention of our read¬ 
ers. We consider them among the most valuable 
suits The broken earth thus pulverized to a and i m] j 0rtant tha t have yet appeared in the Agri- 
much greater depth, and nflCorporated with the de- cu ituEist ° 
scending particles of vegetable sustenance, affords 
FENCING—No. 1. 
The period has*not yet arrived when the abso¬ 
lute want of timber forces a general resort to some 
substitute for fencing. In some parts of the State,, 
however, the timber is gone, and plank is pur¬ 
chased and used. In other parts it is becoming 
scarce, and great economy is required, while every¬ 
body knows that the time will come when rail 
fences will be no more. The common feeling, 
however, is to let the future take care of itself.. 
Sheer necessity alone can introduce improve¬ 
ment in anything connected with our Agriculture. 
The planter belongs to the genus Terrapin , and 
can seldom be made to move until the fire is felt on 
his back. I never, therefore, undertake to recom¬ 
mend anything to planters for their benefit in fu~ 
