off a little, awl you have a mellow, even sur¬ 
face. From 15 to 18 inches is the usual dis¬ 
tance apart at which they are set. 
Growing the plants is a more difficult task. 
In this section we usually make our hot-beds 
from about April 15 to 30 on the following 
plan. Dig a trench three feet wide by two 
deep and as long as may be required and wall 
up the back with boards about one foot higher 
than the front. Take fresh horse manure, fill 
up nearly to the top on the lower side, packing 
it somewhat as it is put in. Then, if couven 
ient, put an inch of sand on top and cover 
with muslin or other thin cloth if sash is not 
convenient. In 24 hours the bed should be 
warm. If so, bed down the seed potatoes- 
Do n»t allow them to touch. Then put on 
about two inches of sand. Keep a sharp look 
after the bed. If it gets too hot the potatoes 
will rot, and so they will if it gets too cold. 
As soon as the plants are large enough, pull 
Fig. 33. 
and set them out. A bed will afford three or 
four pullings. Hoe and cultivate till the vines 
begin to run, then plow, hill up and let them 
alone except to loosen the vines if they seem 
inclined to take root. In digging cut the 
vines on each side of the row, and plow out 
with a large plow. a. g. sturdevant. 
Kent Co., Del. 
fixrm (Jreoitomij. 
NOTES ON DRAINAGE. 
PROF. R. C. CARPENTER. 
Stone Drains. —The stone drain has grown 
in great disfavor, even in districts where 
there are plenty of stones which are of no 
use unless it may be to adorn fence corners, 
or to make unsightly piles in the center of 
the fields. I recently saw a stone-drain that 
was constructed 21 years ago. It has done 
efficient service all the time since its con¬ 
struction, and I believe that it would con¬ 
vince the most skeptical of the value of such 
drains as compared with those of tile. This 
dram was led through what was originally a 
black ash swamp; the soil was loam rather 
inclined to be sandy. The drain was con¬ 
structed by opening the trench three and one- 
half to four feet deep, and filling it with cob- 
Fig. 33. 
ble-stones from two to four inches in diam¬ 
eter to a depth of 10 to 12 inches, then cov¬ 
ering them with a layer of marsh tay a couple 
of inches in thickness. The earth was then 
back-filled as usual. No attempt was made to 
form a channel for the water to run in. 
Figure 32 is a section showing the construc¬ 
tion of the drain. At the time it was made 
tile could not be had, and it was expected 
the drain would be of temporary benefit and 
would soon fill up. As a matter of fact, it has 
done as good service as any of the numerous 
tile drains since put in in the same form, 
and it has not been subject to any repairs 
whatever, while tile drains have all needed 
more or less repairs. Stone drains have been 
made in various ways. Figure*23 is a form 
that claims some advantages. The bottom is 
paved with large stones: then comes a layer 
of small cobble stones, covered with large 
stones on top. The larger stones, it is said, 
will prevent the washing of dirt into the inter¬ 
stices of the small stones, thus clogging the 
drain up. The bottom paving prevents the 
wash of the water from undermining the 
drain. In districts where flat stones are to be 
obtained, they can be laid so as to form reg¬ 
ular channels. Figures 24 and 25 show two 
forms, both of which I have seen in use, and 
both are very effective. The channel is some¬ 
times made by disposing the stones in a trian¬ 
gular form, aud then throwing smaller stones 
on top, as in Figures 26 and 27. These forms 
have, I think, no particular merit. 
Although a stone drain may be effective in 
ordinary conditions, yet it is not entirely 
without objection, aud under some conditions 
it would certainly fail. Where stones have to 
be drawn any considerable distance it is cost¬ 
ly. It requires at the best somewhat more 
digging than for tile, as the ditch for this 
purpose should be at least one foot wide. 
When channels are formed, or the bottom is 
paved, as shown in Fig. 23 to 27, the labor of 
construction is very great. If the soil is a 
soft sand or quick-sand, it is doubtful if the 
stone drain would remain open unless chan¬ 
nels were formed, and even then I should con¬ 
sider its remaining open a problematic ques¬ 
tion. For main drains, carrying a good deal 
of water, I would much prefer a tile drain. 
I know, however, of numerous cases where 
drainage is needed in districts where stones 
are plentiful, and in silch cases I would ad¬ 
vise the construction of stone drains. I feel 
that they can be made, with confidence, that 
they will be effective and permanent, except 
under the conditions mentioned. 
Pole and Brush Drains —The drains 
made of poles or brush are not without 
value, and will last longer for such pur¬ 
poses than is generally imagined. If poles 
or rails are used, a channel is formed by lay¬ 
ing them as shown in Fig. 28. If brush is 
used care should be taken to lay all the twigs 
parallel to the course of the water, aud with 
the butt ends slightly inclined downward and 
Fig. 25. 
toward the outlet, as shown at Fig. 30. In 
peaty ground these drains are probably of 
equal value with tile;the settling, which is 
enormous in such grounds, and which, as I 
have found by experience, is often sufficient 
to ruin a tile drain, will not affect such 
drains. The liquid from the peat acts as a 
preservative for the wood. 
Peat Drains. —Masses of peat cut into the 
shape shown at Fig. 29 by a peculiarly- 
shaped spade, are dried and laid so as to leave 
a channel, as in Fig. 29. These drains are fair¬ 
ly durable in marshes, when the weight that 
comes on them is not heavy. If labor is not 
of great account, they are cheap. 
Channels of Earth.— In hard,clay ground 
a channel is sometimes cut in the bottom of a 
ditch; then covered with a board or a piece 
of sod, as shown in Fig. 81. Such a drain is 
quite efficient for two or three seasons, but in 
time it is filled up, so that it is doubtful wheth¬ 
er it pays to construct one or not. 
Mole-plow Drains —In this connection 
may be mentioned the work of the mole-plow; 
this leaves in the ground a channel for the 
water. Experience has shown that this chan¬ 
nel is at best temporary, and of so little value 
that the mole-plow has nearly gone out of use. 
In clay soils, free from stones, it was quite a 
valuable tool. 
Fig. 26 
Ciurffl (Topics. 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
T. B. TERRY. 
Ensiloing corn better than thrashing; high 
praise of ensilage in Wisconsin; why no 
silo was built in that. “model bam"; aplace 
for one when desirable: geared wind-mills 
for power not satisfactory; horse-power or 
petroleum engines for light work; steam en¬ 
gines for heavy; hollow bricks for founda¬ 
tions and cellars; numerous purposes for 
which they give satisfaction; covered yards 
and water-tight floors enhance the value 
of manure; other advantages of a covered 
yard. 
A friend in Wisconsin thinks I do not 
believe in a silo because I did not build one in 
my new barn. I do believe that the silo, as 
now built and managed, is a success. It is the 
best way yet known of preserving fodder 
corn. Thrashing the corn is all the rage in 
some parts of Ohio this winter, but taking one 
year with another, it seems to me that if the 
Fig. 27. 
corn was cut at the right stage and put in the 
silo it would be better. I have never fed any 
silage, but having talked with many practical 
farmers who had fed it for years, and were in¬ 
variably pleased with it, men who figure and 
know what they are about, how could one do 
less than be in favor of it? Still I have heard 
the silo praised away beyond what I can be¬ 
lieve. A good man said at an institute in 
Wisconsin, last winter, that he had rather 
have the clover that would make one ton of 
hay, preserved in his silo, than to have two 
tons of the best clover hay that could be made 
or three tons of average clover hay. This 
friend was one of the State speakers and 
spoke from experience. I turned to Professor 
Henry who sat by my side and asked if he was 
going to let such a statement as that pass un¬ 
challenged. “Certainly,” he says,“ensilage is 
a good thing. Let them push it. It will pay 
our farmers 100 cents on the dollar, every 
time; but,” he added, thoughtfully, “I do not 
believe it will pay 200.” Wisconsin farmers 
can safely tie to what Professor Henry 
says. 
Well, why didn’t I build a silo in my barn 
then? Simply because I do not raise corn. 
On the average, for 10 years past, I could 
raise potatoes and sell them and buy corn and 
make much more money than if I raised it. 
This may not be the case always, therefore the 
barn was so built that a silo can be put 
Fig. 28. 
in the big bay, at any time, at little ex¬ 
pense. Grain can be stored in the silo and 
thrashed out before the corn is ready to cut, 
and the other bay can be used for hay. This 
matter was all studied over carefully before 
building. If I raised corn a silo would be put 
in next summer. For the amount of clover I 
raise 1 do not think it would pay to put in a 
silo. I can easily make it into hay and store 
it under cover. If I had corn much of it 
would have to stand out-of-doors and be dam¬ 
aged by the weather unless I had a silo. 
Our friend wants to know, also, if I do not 
believe in geared wind-mill power to run all 
kinds of machinery, such as thrashers, corn 
shellers, etc. No, I certainly do not, for my 
use, except only for pumping water for 
stock. I do not know of one in Ohio that 
spade for cutting peet.—F ig. 29. 
gives continued satisfaction for work of the 
kind named, and I do know of some aban 
doned in disgust. Our winds are not steady 
enough. They do very well to pump water 
where one has a large tank that will hold a 
supply for several days; but for cutting feed, 
thrashing, etc., we Yankees get tired of whist¬ 
ling, sometimes, while waiting for the wind. 
Wisconsin winds are more to be depended on; 
but if one insists on a geared mill for power, 
he will have his patience tried pretty often. 
We use steam almost entirely for thrashing 
and ^heavier work. I would advise a good 
