THE CULTIVATOR. 
241 
minor ones it should be covered, offering as it will in 
that case, less obstruction to cultivation. The liability 
of all large drains, such as central ones should be, to 
frequent obstructions from deposits of matter from the 
side drains, renders it necessary that in making them 
this fact should be kept in view, as open drains can 
be more readily cleared than covered ones, if by acci¬ 
dent they are obstructed. 
Fig. 68, represents one of these low meadows. D. 
shows the central drain, L. S. the drain passing around 
it at the base of the hills to cut off the springs, and O. 
marks the outlet which conveys the water into the 
~ ~ brook B. The cross section given, shows the nature 
of the strata, with springs rising from the porous lay¬ 
er marked S. into the surface swamp. It is evident 
ther b that a drain around the meadow will not make it 
wSMifi dl T5 t0 d° this, drains must be cut from these springy 
places to the center or side drains. It sometimes hap- 
« a - pens that the clay or impervious strata underlying the 
‘ a Jl . ‘ -J bog, rests on a porous one that would readily admit 
, , .. J - : '3j the water to flow off could it reach it. A knowledge 
| of the geological structure of the district, will enable 
one generally to determine this point. When such is 
' - J r-. .• the case, if a well or boring is made through the im- 
_ — - pervious strata as at C. the several drains may be con- 
mm ducted to that point, and the whole made perfectly dry. 
No boring of this kind should, however, be attempted 
until the nature of the strata below is understood; as in 
some cases, instead of sinking, water would 
be found rising to the surface, and increasing 
the evil it was intended to obviate. 
Thus far our remarks have had reference to 
the necessity and proper management of 
drains where the water arises from springs; 
but there is a large portion of our soils, where 
from the compact or clayey nature of the sub¬ 
soil, the rain or surface water does not pass 
away freely, but remains until carried off by 
evaporation, or the slow process of absorption 
in such a soil. Such soils are of necessity 
cold, as all evaporating surfaces rapidly carry 
off heat, and the vegetation on them will al¬ 
ways be sickly and defective, since the roots 
of all cultivated plants, if constantly submer¬ 
ged, cannot perform their functions in a pro¬ 
per or healthy manner. They will also be 
shallow, and resist all attempts at deepening, 
as clay, in water, even if disturbed by the 
plow, will soon run together, and become as 
compact as before. The only way then, to 
^ & ~_- r,s= = bring such soils into a state fit for production 
r 3 and easy cultivation, to make them deep and 
fertile, is to thoroughly drain them, as a pre- 
It has long been known 
... _ paratory operation. 
^at so ii s j n w hich a considerable proportion 
of clay existed were among the strongest and 
Fig-68. best, particularly for wheat; but they were so 
difficult to cultivate, owing to their stiffness and their capability to retain moisture, that lighter soils have received, 
and justly, a decided preference. Thorough draining, as practiced in England and Scotland, and adopted to a con¬ 
siderable extent by some of the best farmers in this country, has materially lessened the labor of cultivating such 
soils, and in many cases doubled their value and productiveness. Once drained, they can be deepened,and made 
permeable to atmospheric influences, the action of manure is greatly increased, and the labor of cultivation pro- 
portionably reduced. 
The number of drains necessary, their nature and depth, will be depending on the compactness of the soil, 
the tenacity with which water is retained, or the quantity it annually receives from the surface or otherwise. As 
a general rule, the drains should be s-s near each other, that no water will rest on the surface, between them, for 
any time after rain, or which will not readily pass from the soil into them. The distance may vary from 30 to 60 
feet; but so long as the water does not readily leave the soil, or any unnecessary moisture is retained, we may be 
assured that the full benefit of draining has not been attained. The soils to be benefited by the system of draining 
now under consideration, are usually nearly level, and when first cleared are covered with a covering of partially 
decayed vegetable matter, called muck. Perhaps there is no surer indication of a retentive and cold subsoil, than a 
thick surface covering of ‘ muck,’ and yet the new settler, unacquainted with the science of agriculture, would be 
very likely to consider the presence of this substance as one of the most favorable indications of richness and fer¬ 
tility. In commencing a system of draining, one of the first steps is to ascertain their proper direction by leveling. 
This is in most cases readily determined by the eye alone, but where any doubt can exist, or important consequen¬ 
ces are depending on the result, certainty should be secured by the spirit level or square. In no case where consi¬ 
derable water can be expected to flow in them, should the descent be great; as in such case, the wear of the cur¬ 
rent will soon destroy them, or render them useless. A greater number of drains, by which the water can be con¬ 
ducted in safety into an open one, or one of sufficient capacity to allow it all to pass off without danger, is the better 
way, where the water is in large quantities, or liable to collect in that state. 
The necessity of relieving soils of their surplus water has long been understood, and open drains to remove it 
from the surface have long been used, but thorough draining, by cutting numerous deep drains, making a water 
