1849 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
156 
ted just alike, and the clover was sown on all at the 
same time and from the same parcel of seed. Here 
was a thing so different from all my former notions, 
that I began to think I had, all my life, been laboring 
under a mistake. 
I had several times had corn on a part of the field 
and potatoes on the other part ; and had noticed that 
the subsequent grass crop was much the best where the 
corn had grown; but so deep was the impression that 
corn was a greater exhauster than potatoes, that I at¬ 
tributed the difference in the grass to other causes. At 
the time my attention was turned to my neighbor’s clo¬ 
ver, I had a piece of ground, which was seeded with 
grass, the previous summer with oats, after a crop of 
potatoes. The ground was well manured for the pota¬ 
toes, and had previously borne large grass crops. I 
was much disappointed with the grass crop on this piece, 
and after mowing a very light crop two seasons, I last 
summer, turned in the sward and sowed grass seed— 
whether this will improve the crop of grass remains to 
be seen. Will some of your correspondents, who have 
made observations, enlighten us on this subject? R. R. 
P. Manchester, Ct., Feb. 15, 1849. 
Draining JLasiil. 
Eds. Cultivator — I have received many letters of 
late, making inquiries respecting draining. The fol¬ 
lowing are generally the questions:—1st. How far do 
you put your drains apart, and how deep ? 2d. Where 
can tile be got, and at what price per 1000 or rod ?— 
Do they not break with frost ? 
In answer to the first question, no man can tell how 
deep or how far apart the drains ought to be, until he 
has made some on his farm, and then experience alone 
must direct him. It is of no use to go deeper than the 
water lies, if that is deep enough to prevent horses or 
cattle from breaking the tiles. I think they should ne¬ 
ver be less than twenty inches deep,—mine are 2i ft. 
deep. The distance apart must be determined by the 
subsoil; if porous, they will admit of a greater dis¬ 
tance apart than if a stiff clay, unless there should be 
gravel under the subsoil; but the true way to lay out 
drains, is to lay them out as though the labor was cost¬ 
ing nothing, because there is no danger of over drain¬ 
ing; and no man after draining a field, and seeing that 
part of it has not got drains enough, can resist putting 
in more; and this is always done at more expense, and 
is seldom done as perfectly, as if done at first. I speak 
from experience. 
In answer to the 2d inquiry, tiles can be got of Ben¬ 
jamin F. Whartenbury, Waterloo, Seneca Co. Three- 
inch tiles cost $10 per 1000, and 13 tiles will make a 
rod. Mr. Delafield, of Oaklands Farm, near Geneva, 
has imported a tile machine, by which we expect to 
get them still lower. 
3d. They never break by frost if they are thorough¬ 
ly burned, but for the lower ends of drains those that 
are hard burnt should be selected. 
I think the following are all the directions that can 
be given on paper about draining. 1st. To be sure to 
make a good outlet for your drains; without that, a 
great deal of labor will be lost. In the next place, if 
possible, reach the fountain head. The water almost 
alw T ays rises near or at the highest part of the field. 
Early in the spring is the best time to stake out drains. 
Another thing very important is, to have tiles large 
enough for the main drains. I have one main drain laid 
with six-inch tiles, and a part with 2 six-inch tiles, and 
I find I shall have a part of it to take up, and lay fur¬ 
ther with double tiles. Some of the other drains that 
run into the main drain, which I may call sub-mains, 
may often require large tiles or double small tiles. I 
advise to do draining perfectly where needed. It will 
pay almost any expense. 
I have put in 5000 tiles this spring, and will have in 
5000 more by 1st May. My expense now is, digging 
feet drains, 15 cents per rod, tiles 13 cents per rod. 
I find men can make better wages at my drains than 
at the public work. I can get them dug to any extent 
for 15 cents per rod, without board. I like to have 
them dug as narrow as they can be done, except some 
main or sub-main drains, in which 1 may lay double tiles. 
John Johnston. Near Geneva, April 7, 1849. 
Information Wanted# 
Eds. Cultivator —I should like to learn something 
respecting the character of that portion of country ly¬ 
ing between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany mountains, 
in Virginia. Whether the country is generally level or 
hilly, and if it is well adapted to the raising of cattle; 
and if good farms of 150 to 200 acres, can be bought 
for reasonable sums. I have heard many conflicting 
reports about that country, and should like to hear its 
true character. Perhaps some of your subscribers from 
Pendleton, Bath, Rockbridge, and Greenbrier counties, 
will give information through the columns of The Cul¬ 
tivator respecting those counties. I should like, also, 
to obtain similar information in regard to the southern 
part of Kentucky. A Subscriber. Perry, N. Y., 
March 16 1849. 
Wool-Growing in South Carolina. 
Eds. Cultivator —Having some thought of going 
into the wool-growing business, I now take the liberty 
of asking some questions about sheep-farming, which I 
hope will be answered. I know nothing of the busi¬ 
ness, as my questions will evince; but hope the desired 
information will be none the less freely communicated 
on that account. 
What is the average cost of good Merino sheep, and 
what is the annnal income per head ? Or what is the 
common calculation among northern farmers on these 
two points ? Are the sheep kept all the time in pas¬ 
ture, or are they turned into the woods or unenclosed 
mountains part of the time ? There is a common belief 
here that sheep will not do well kept in the plantation, 
and farmers therefore, turn them into the woods in the 
summer. Does confining sheep to a particular place, 
cause them to be unhealthy, or are they so because the 
pasture gives out, and the sheep dwindle from starva¬ 
tion ? In other words, will a sheep keep healthy a 
whole year on the same acre of land, provided it has 
plenty that is good and wholesome to eat and to 
drink ? 
How many months have the sheep to be fed, and how 
many can they live on pasture? Are they fed on grain, 
and if so, what kind, and how much ? It is a common 
opinion here, that grain, particularly Indian corn, makes 
sheep shed their wool. Is this true ? or do our sheep 
shed their wool from being fed freely on grain, imme¬ 
diately after they have been nearly famished by neglect? 
Most animals shed when thriving rapidly. On this ac¬ 
count, as well as to make the wool grow as even as 
possible, is it not important that sheep be kept as uni¬ 
formly as possible, so as to keep them always, as near¬ 
ly as may be, in the same condition ? How many sheep 
can one hand attend during the winter, and what would 
the manure of a hundred sheep be worth a month, if 
well littered? 
What kind of sheep are considered most profitable ? 
What kind or kinds of grass make the best sheep pas¬ 
ture, and what the best hay for sheep ? If sheep are 
sent into the mountains with a shepherd, what is his 
wages, and how many sheep can he attend ? How of¬ 
ten should sheep have salt in the summer time, and 
how often in winter ? Don’t sheep, like all other ani- 
