330 
POSTAGE—FRANKING.—AGRICULTURE IN SCOTLAND. 
POSTAGE—FRANKING. 
In giving the rates of postage in the Agricultu¬ 
rist Almanac, Mr. Allen states that “ members of 
Congress receive and send letters free , during and 
for sixty days before and after session of Congress.” 
If he will look into the “ amended ” P. 0. law, he 
will see that they have the franking privilege 
during the whole vacation of Congress. And 
moreover, that for certain kinds of correspondence 
they are not limited to the “half ounce” (a) but may 
send and receive free any package, nothing being 
said about weight. This is an additional reason 
why we should urge on the P. O. reform. “ M. 
C.’s” have not forgotten to provide for themselves, 
if they have forgotten [neglected] the tax-payers— 
the people. H. 
(a) Post Masters are confined to the “half 
ounce” franking privilege ; members of Congress 
can at all times frank two ounces ; and heavier 
documents, such as piano-fortes, cases of books, 
huge packages of political pamphlets, old clothes, 
and linen sent home to he washed, they get done 
by a stretch of the law through the Clerk of the 
House also free. 
^flriculturc m Scotlant?—No. 2. 
Draining. —About two weeks since, during my 
attendance of the annual show of the Highland 
Agricultural Society, held this year in Glasgow, I 
had the pleasure of hearing an address upon drain¬ 
ing, from Mr. Smith of Deanston, who is in this 
country considered an oracle upon that subject. 
So far as my knowledge extends, I was the only 
American present, but I wished that his observa¬ 
tions might have been heard by every farmer of 
our country. My sketch must be brief and there¬ 
fore imperfect, yet it may nevertheless present an 
outline of an address, which coming from such a 
source, is most worthy of confidence. 
Mr. Smith commenced, by stating that the chief 
evil we have to contend with, arises from the rain 
that fails upon the surface. The plan of forming 
high narrow ridges is but a partial remedy ; the 
crop may be good upon the crown of the ridge, but 
the turrow and lower parts get a double share of 
water and are always inferior; besides, the rain 
running over the surface washes out and carries 
away a part of the manure and of the soluble and 
most valuable portions of the soil. Water always 
forms a level, and accumulates at a certain dis¬ 
tance below the surface ; when a field is drained 
thoroughly, this level is removed to the bottom of 
the drains. The rains falling upon the surface 
descend to the level and flow sideways to the 
drains. In the stiffest clay soils, this takes place, 
for such soils shrink in drying, and thus gradually 
become intersected with cracks, so that they are 
often found to drain quicker than any others. As 
the water passes down, of course the air follows, 
and fills up the vacuum; in this manner a supply 
of fresh air is introduced into the soil and obtains 
access to the roots of the plants. Noxious sub¬ 
stances also, such as oxide of iron, which always 
accumulate below the level of the water, and form 
a harrier to the downward progress of the roots, 
are gradually dissolved and carried down the 
drains, thus purifying a great depth of soil, and 
placing within reach of the growing crop an unex¬ 
hausted stratum of earth. Extensive experience 
during the excessive dry weather of the last sea¬ 
son, has shown that drained fields withstand the 
drought far better than the undrained. Facts pre¬ 
viously cited show how this is to be accounted for. 
On the drained land, the roots may descend in 
search of water the whole depth of the drains, and 
encounter no noxious substance; while on un¬ 
drained, they soon find something which checks 
their growth. 
The top of the drain should be below the limit 
of the subsoil plow. With tiles 2^ feet for the 
bottom may answer, but 3 feet is better. They 
should be laid off in parallel lines straight down 
the hill. There is no necessity for oblique lines 
to cut off the springs; the water always finds its 
level, and each parallel drain discharges itself at 
great advantage. They should be between 16 and 
21 feet apart; closer than 16 feet they might let 
off the water too freely, without filtering sufficient; 
it ought to passjnto the drains perfectly clear. In 
particular cases, of coursp, undulations of surface 
make catch-drains necessary. The great point in 
cutting, is to make the drains as narrow as possi¬ 
ble, a turn of the plow may take out 8 or 9 inches 
at first and a narrow spade do the rest. Stone 
drains if properly executed are as effective as tiles. 
They should be made of stones broken to the size 
of a hen’s egg and need no open space at the bot¬ 
tom. Great care is to be taken in covering; the 
best material is a thin turf, carefully cut and over¬ 
lapped ; the earth should be tramped upon it and 
filled to the surface as compactly as possible. 
From 6 to S inches and even less, of broken stone 
are perfectly effectual, and drains of this descrip¬ 
tion have been found in excellent order 20 years 
after they were made. Much stress is laid upon 
beating and compacting the soil above the stones; 
no water should find its way into the drain except 
from the side. If tiles are used they should have 
soles; economy should not come in competition 
with security. 
When the soil is well drained, the next step is 
to stir it as deeply and thoroughly as possible ; for 
this purpose the subsoil plow is the best imple¬ 
ment. Care should be taken, however, in case of 
tenacious clay soils to wait for a year or two, as 
hasty subsoiliog of them would produce very bad 
effects. In some stony land it might be necessary 
to use the spade or fork. As the subsoil becomes 
ameliorated by the action of water and access of 
air, it may, by trench plowing, be with great bene¬ 
fit gradually brought up. Mr. Smith has attained 
on his own farm a workable depth of 16 inches 
of good mould. 
I have now given the principal points of this 
lecture, which, delivered at the close of a public 
breakfast of the Highland society, was listened to 
with marked attention by a large audience. Each 
position was strengthened by facts, drawn either 
from the extensive experience of the speaker or 
that of others. At the close, the chairman, the 
Duke of Montrose corroborated the assertion of 
Mr. Smith that drained land bore drought better 
than undrained. 
