1858, 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
367 
Experiments with Underdraining. 
We wish to give additional evidence to the value of 
underdraining, by reporting all accurately stated ex¬ 
periments. Having recently made some on a small 
scale, we add them to the list. The land is a strong 
loam in Cayuga county, a medium between a heavy 
clay and a light loam. The drains were cut two feet 
nine inches to three feet deep, two rods apart, and com¬ 
pleted with tubular tile two inches in diameter. The 
work being done where the proprietor could not oversee 
it, cost 40 cents a rod, or $32 per acre. 
The crops on this drained land, the present season, 
were corn and spring wheat—and being cultivated by 
a tenant, did not of course receive the best treatment. 
A portion of the cornfield was on a strip of undrained 
land. The season proving unusually favorable for the 
latter, but little difference could be perceived till the 
ears had set. It is now found, however, that while the 
corn on the drained land is at least forty bushels of 
sound shelled corn per acre, the undrained portion 
yields scarcely thirty bushels, and of poorer quality. 
With the spring wheat (China Tea) however, the 
disparity is greater. Before draining, fifteen bushels 
per acre was regarded a good crop, and uncertain at 
that. Three scant acres were sown last spring on the 
tile-drained land, and yielded eighty-one bushels— 
eaual to twenty-seven bushels per acre. The wheat 
sold promptly for a dollar per bushel—and would pro¬ 
bably have brought more as seed, as it was unusually 
fine, weighing 62 lbs. to the measured bushel. 
The time required to repay the cost of draining 
would therefore be as follows:—For the corn, the in¬ 
crease being ten bushels per acre, at 75 cents per 
bushel, four years would be required, if all the seasons 
were like this. But they are commonly more unfa¬ 
vorable—making a greater difference in favor of the 
drains; the best cultivation would doubtless place the 
time for full repayment within three years. The in¬ 
crease of the spring wheat being twelve bushels per 
acre, at a dollar per bushel, repays the cost in less than 
three years. 
Glover—its Management and Value. 
the roots of the plant to strike down to a greater depth 
in the soil; and if the soil is good and porous, the 
oftener the top is cut off the deeper will the root pene¬ 
trate. Hence it is pretty evident under sueh circum¬ 
stances as you name, that had the whole field been 
mowed, the roots of the clover would then have pene¬ 
trated deep enough in the earth to have withstood the 
winter’s frosts. In soils adapted to clover growing, it 
is a valuable plant, much more so I believe than is 
generally understood, and I am convinced that a crop 
of clover does less injury to the land than most other 
plants, providing the soil is kept free from root weeds ; 
and I believe in some instances that instead of dete¬ 
riorating, that it actually enriehes the soil in which it 
is grown. 
Where clover can be mown more than once in a sea¬ 
son, each time that it is cut the roots penetrate to a 
greater depth in the soil and subsoil in search of food; 
it is therefore evident that this plant does not receive 
all its support from the active surface soil, but a por¬ 
tion of it from a greater depth in the subsoil than most 
ordinary farm crops. Besides this, I have been led to 
believe from experience and observation, that the roots 
of clover not only obtain a portion of their food from a 
greater depth in the earth than is penetrated by the 
plow, but that those roots in thus penetrating the sub¬ 
soil in search of food, actually bring up something 
whieh in their decay strengthens and enriches the soil 
for future crops. I will here mention a case in point. 
Several years ago whilst in England, an acquaintance 
of mine, the late Charles Colling, Esq., one of the 
pioneer breeders of the far-famed Durham Short-Horn¬ 
ed cattle, had a field of oats which were altogether a 
very fine crop, but yet on some portions of this field was 
a much fuller and heavier crop than other portions; 
and on being asked the reason by a party of gentle¬ 
men who were visiting his farm, he replied that “last 
year the whole of this field was in clover, a great por¬ 
tion of which was mowed off for the purpose of stall- 
feeding my work-horses as required—my farm horses 
being kept in and stall-fed through the summer. That 
portion of the field on which the oats are lightest, is 
where the clover was mown only onee ; that part which 
is something heavier, is where the clover crop was cut 
twice; and that part of the field whieh now bears the 
greatest and most luxuriant crop of oats, is where the 
clover crop was mowed off three times during last sum¬ 
mer. The after-math of the whole field was in the 
autumn eaten off by young horses and sheep.” 
In conclusion, I would remark that I consider clover 
a very valuable farm crop, but in its culture it requires 
judicious management; for I believe if we attempt to 
grow clover too frequently on the same land, we run 
the risk of rendering that land incapable of yielding a 
full crop of clover, or in other words, the land will be 
rendered clover sick. But by a judicious rotation or 
course of cropping, along with fair cultivation, there is 
little danger of failure. T. Thomas, C. E. Milwaukee. 
Sale or Sheep. —Mr. George Campbell of West¬ 
minster, Vt., informs us that he has just sold 15 of his 
Spanish and French Merinoes to a Texas gentleman, 
and 12 French and 13 Spanish rams, to go to South 
America. 
The New-York Teacher —A new vol. of this val¬ 
uable educational journal commences with the October 
No. It is published in this city, by James Cruik- 
shank, Resident Editor, at $1 a year. 
Messrs. Editors —Having for some months during 
the middle of summer been prevented by ill health 
from taking my usual interest in agricultural matters, 
your paper, the Country Gentleman, during that time 
was thrown aside ; but on my now glancing over the 
paper, I find in your editorial of the 15th July, you 
observe that in riding over Mr. Hall’s farm in compa¬ 
ny with the Rev. W. F. Brand, among much good 
farming and superior cultivation you met with one 
thing which you could not account for. “ In a field of 
clover which had been mowed during last season, a 
part remained uncut, and where the tops were thus 
left on the ground over winter the clover this spring 
was killed out completely, scarcely a root remaining.” 
I believe from my experience in clover growing that 
I can give you the true reason, as I have occasionally 
experienced the same thing. I may here remark that 
that the clover plant grows from a tap root which 
strikes pretty deep into the earth, but more particu- 
larly when the top is cut off. And I have found that 
immediately on the top of the clover plant being cut 
or mowe d off, it brings about a re-action which causes 
