150 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST? 
spring at that point, as there is always an 
unfailing supply of water in p. 
Suppose now at w a deep shaft or well be 
sunk down through the clay bed into the 
water-bearing strata, p. It is evident that 
the pressure from the higher ground, on the 
right, will cause the water to rise up and 
overflow at to, even though the ground at 
that point be much more elevated than the 
country immediately around it. This water 
may come from many miles distant under 
the impervious bed, c, and there may be a 
sufficient supply of it to keep up a large and 
constant overflow atwi. Such arrangements 
are by no means uncommon in various parts 
of the world. These living wells are called 
Artesian wells, from the circumstance of their 
having been first discovered, or their being 
most numerous in Artois, France. They 
can, of course, only exist where there are is 
higher ground at a greater or less distance. 
This illustration was, perhaps, sufficiently 
explained at page 126. We introduce it 
again, however, to refresh the memory, and 
add a word more in reference to the frequen¬ 
cy of this arrangement of the soil, and the 
importance of thoroughly studying it. Place 
several pieces of different kinds of cloth one 
upon the other, taking thick and thin pieces of 
each kind,and put heavy weights upon several 
points. Then apply pressure upon the sides 
of the flat mass. The mass will be thrown 
into irregular shape, here an elevation re¬ 
sembling a hill, and there a depression like 
a valley. Now, with a sharp cutting instru¬ 
ment, pare or shear off some of the elevations 
to form a flat surface, and we shall see upon 
the sheared portion the edges of the different 
kinds of cloth lying side by side, much like 
the layers of soil represented in fig. 5. A 
similar arrangement would be produced if 
under the layers of cloth we thrust any sub¬ 
stance to raise it up at different points, in¬ 
stead of producing the elevations by com¬ 
pressing the sides. Now, as before intima¬ 
ted, pages 125-6, there is abundant evidence 
that both the soils and rocks upon the earth’s 
surface have been originally deposited from 
water in beds or layers, (strata,) like the 
layers of cloth, and that volcanic pressure 
from beneath has tilted up and displaced 
these beds, so that we find them in all posi¬ 
tions, sometimes lying nearly flat, and some¬ 
times standing almost on the edge, as shown 
in fig. 5. Mueh the greater portion of the 
earth’s land surface is rock, formed of hard¬ 
ened materials, which were originally in a 
fine state—sand stones, for example, being 
masses of coarse or fine sand turned to 
stone. Our soils proper, are merely pulver¬ 
ized portions of the upper parts of these 
rocks, and their characters and composi¬ 
tion depends upon the kinds of rocks out of 
which they were formed. The best soils 
are usually those formed from several kinds 
of decayed rocks, the materials having been 
washed together by water. These are 
called diluvial soils, or if formed by moving 
water now or more recently acting, they 
are called alluvial soils. The upland loam 
soils are examples of the diluvial, having 
been formed of mixed masses of clay, sand, 
washed gravel, &c. The rich, recent¬ 
ly formed soils upon the banks or in the val¬ 
leys of streams, are examples of the alluvi¬ 
al. So the dark rich mud washed down 
from higher land into swamps or low lands, 
may be called alluvial. 
Before leaving this topic, we may remark 
that a thorough geological examination of a 
section of any country, by competent men, 
furnishes most important information to the 
cultivators, in regard not only to the origin 
and character of the rocks and derived soil, 
but also in reference to the succession and 
inclination of the various beds of clay, sand, 
gravel, &c. Farmers are, in the end, the 
class by far the most benefitted by geological 
surveys, and we hope they will at all times 
second, and encourage any project for mak¬ 
ing such surveys, under the legislative au¬ 
thorities of the different States. A million, 
or two or three million dollars, expended in 
such a survey of any State or Territory of 
our country, would be of the highest value 
to the agricultural interests, while the ex¬ 
pense would be shared by all kinds of taxa¬ 
ble property. We hope yet to see such a 
thorough geological examination of every 
township, that every one can learn from 
looking on a map embodying the results, 
what is the character of the soil, how the 
beds of different kinds of rocks and soil are 
arranged together, what is their dip or incli¬ 
nation, what portions need draining, how 
the drains should be placed to be most ef¬ 
fectual, &c. Geology promises to throw 
much light on all these practical questions. 
Having thus discussed the arrangement of 
the soils on the surface of the earth, and the 
reasons for draining most of these soils, or 
the advantages arising therefrom, together 
with general rules for examining any portion 
to ascertain the probability of its needing 
draining, we will next proceed to the closing 
topic, viz.: The methods of draining. 
GETTING Eli) OF EOCTvS OE BOULDEES. 
Where these are too large to drag out on 
a stone-boat, and yet are not absolutely im¬ 
movable, it is an excellent plan to dig a large 
deep hole close to one side, and then 
roll them into it by levers. When this can¬ 
not be done, build a fire of brush and old 
rails on the top of the rock, and the expan¬ 
sion caused by the heat will soon split off 
large fragments. Remove these at once, 
with a crow-bar, and then renew the fire on 
the remainder, and. so proceed until the 
whole nuisance is abated. A more sudden 
and prompt effect is sometimes produced by 
removing the fire after the rock has become 
highly heated, and dashing on a few pails of 
water. 
Lightning Rods.— Should be put up before the 
barns are filled with fresh steaming hay or grain. 
WHEN TO GATHEE CEOPS. 
This is an important topic. To cut grass 
when it is “ ripe,” and grain when ready to 
shell out, is far from economy. Careful ob¬ 
servations and experiments, as well as 
chemistry, teach us that all grass and grain 
crops, to be consumed as food for man or 
beast, should be cut down before maturity. 
Many of the roots, also, are better for pre¬ 
mature gathering. Potatoes may well be 
ripened in the ground; and, were it conven¬ 
ient to make the separation, we should say 
let grain, designed only for seed, remain 
upon the native stalk, in the field, until near¬ 
ly ready to fall off. As we have said, ex¬ 
periments carefully made have proved con¬ 
clusively that wheat, for example, if cut six 
to twelve days before full maturity, yields 
not only a greater bulk and weight, but more 
and better flour, than if allowed to stand un¬ 
til “dead ripe.” We have frequently pub¬ 
lished the direct trials which have establish¬ 
ed this fact, and will not take space to repeat 
them here. Let us look a little into the 
reasons for such a result. It will not be dis¬ 
puted that a pound of gum, or sugar, or 
starch, is better food than the same amount of 
wood or woody fibre. Much the largest pro¬ 
portion of the nourishment of wheat or corn, 
or other grain, is derived from the starch it 
contains. More than three-fourths of the 
entire bulk of wheat flour, for example, is 
reallypure starch. The same may be said of 
corn meal. But all grains contain more or 
less of woody fibre, in the shell. 
Wood, sugar, starch and gum, are com¬ 
posed of precisely the same elements, and 
these are nearly in the same proportion. The 
difference in form and properties is chiefly in 
the arrangement of the elements. Yet wood 
is nearly indigestible, and of course fails, in 
part, to yield nourishment, while sugar, 
starch, and gum, are easily digested, and al¬ 
most their entire elements furnish nutriment. 
Examine grain in the milk, and it will be 
found to consist almost totally ol starch, 
gum and sugar, the abundance of sugar giv¬ 
ing it a sweetish taste. Let this grain ri¬ 
pen, and the starch, gum and sugar, are 
hardened, and in part changed to woody fi¬ 
bre, that is, husk or bran. But cut the grain 
while scarcely out of the milk state, and you 
stop the natural change into woody matter, 
and thus secure a larger proportion of the 
desired starch, sugar and gttm. It is well 
known chat the earliest flour made from 
first-cut grain possesses a peculiar sweet¬ 
ness. Corn picked while still soft, and 
dried, retains its sweetness. The only point 
to be looked to is, not to cut grain before 
it attains its full development of material. 
This point has been found to be just at the 
period when it commences hardening. No 
grain should be allowed to stand a day after 
it becomes so solid as to require a gentle 
pressure to crush the kernel between the 
thumb and finger-nails. This rule applies 
to wheat, oats, corn, and indeed to all cereal 
crops. Gathered at this time, which is 
usually eight to ten days before perfect ripen¬ 
ing, there will not only be more and better 
nutriment, but the yield of grain, and espe- 
