THE CULTIVATOR. 
29 
Sometimes a species of draining termed 
wedge-draining, has been employed. The 
general method of performing this is to 
form a narrow trench with a long narrow 
shovel. The spit being taken out as deep 
as the shovel can go, a scoop is employed 
to clear out the mud and loose earth at 
the bottom. Then another shovel corres¬ 
ponding with the first is used, and a second 
spit taken out, and then a narrower shovel 
still to clear the whole out—forming a 
trench with a ledge, as in figure 7. 
A piece of sod with the grass side below, 
is then forced down, and resting upon the 
ledge, a space is leit for the water below. Sometimes'the ledge 
is dispensed with, and the sod is merely formed into a wedge, nar¬ 
rowed towards the grassy side, and this, when the little trench is 
cleared out is pressed into it and covered with earth ; and as it does 
not reach the narrow bottom, a channel remains below, through 
which the water percolates.* 
This simple species of drain has been extensively adopted in 
some districts; and as it is easily formed, and as the number of 
drains mav be multiplied at little expense, considerable benefit has 
resulted from the use of it. But although drains of this kind will 
remain open for a considerable time, yet they are exceedingly apt 
to be closed up; on which account, the use of tile is in most cases 
to be preferred. 
' There are two olher materials for under-draining which we have employed, 
for want of stones, both equal if not superior, to sod, viz: brush-wood and 
straw. For brush-wood, the trench may be made like fig. 1, 18 or 24 inches 
wide, and three or four feet deep. The brush we have used, have been pine 
saplings, from two to six inches at the but. They are cut into lengths of four 
or five feet, and commencing at the upper end, placed diaganolly in the trench, 
the buts down and towards the outlet. When completed, the ditch is appa¬ 
rently full. The brush is then all brought within the edges of the ditch, well 
trod down, and the earth thrown in. Bundles of faggots are sometimes em¬ 
ployed. When straw is to be used, the ditch is made to conform to figure 7. 
The lower part is cut by a spade, ten inches long, three broad at top, and one 
inch at bottom, and the loose dirt carefully removed with a scraper, which wo 
may hereafter give a figure of; the straw being twisted into ropes, is then 
pressed gently with a spade into the narrow cut, the sod placed over it, and 
the earth thrown in. A side view of a brush drain is shown in the annexed 
cuts; A. shows the form of placing the brush, and B. its position after the 
trench is filled with the earth. In both cases, the sides of the main trench 
may be cut perpendicular.— Cond. Cult. 
A. 
Miscellaneous. 
Extract from the Address of Mr. S. Blydenburgh, read at the annual 
meeting of the Rensselaer County Agricultural Society, October 7, 
1834. 
Science and art, which were designed by Nature as twin sisters, 
for the mutual benefit and support of each other, have been from 
time immemorial alienated and estranged by the artifices of designing 
men. But, thank Heaven! they are becoming happily reconciled. 
Science, tired of spinning hypothetical cobwebs in secret, has at 
length found out that she is indebted to her long despised sister, 
not only for the common comforts of life, but even for the instru¬ 
ments with which she makes her discoveries ; and Art , finding her¬ 
self no longer insulted, instead of groping in darkness, as hereto¬ 
fore, is now making rapid advances in the perfection of her labors, 
as she pursues them by the light of science. Every branch of the 
useful arts is now assuming an improved character, as it begins to 
be conducted on scientific principles; but in no branch whatever 
is the knowledge of those principles of more importance than in 
agriculture. 
The same overbearing spirit, which has heretofore monopolized 
all the honors, all the respectability, and most of the wealth, has 
endeavored, and still endeavors, to claim all the learning. We 
have two or three professions, which, however necessary, (and I 
have no disposition to question either their usefulness or their re¬ 
spectability,) cannot produce a single article even for their own 
subsistance, but which are with great emphasis styled the learned 
professions; while the farmer who feeds them, and who furnishes the 
materials to clothe them, is in grateful return greeted by the sweet 
sounding appellation of clodhopper. There can be no shadow of ob¬ 
jection to giving learning to the man who labors for our spiritual good 
—to the lawyer, who settles our temporal disputes—or to the physi¬ 
cian, who heals our maladies. But why, in the name of common sense, 
is it not equally necessary for the farmer'? I would not dispute with 
either of these learned professions for the monopoly of the dead lan¬ 
guages, but for the ever-living natural sciences—for mathematics, 
mechanics, chemistry, botany, zoology, and their subordinate branch¬ 
es. I contend that where the clergyman, or the lawyer, has one pro- 
fessional occasion for their use, the farmer has fifty. By botany and 
chemistry, he learns the physiology of his plants, the nourishment 
and treatment they require ; and, by analyzing his soil, he discovers 
what is necessary to maintain and increase its fertility, Zoology 
and natural history teach him the characters and constitution of 
his animals; and mechanics, the structure and use of his imole- 
ments. In short, his whole business of life is a series of illustrations 
of the principles of science, and his whole establishment is a scien¬ 
tific laboratory. 
May we not confidently hope that the worthy gentlemen of these 
learned professions will at some day be willing to admit the scien¬ 
tific farmer to an equal rank in the scale of being with themselves ? 
But the number thus favored, however, must, for some time to come, 
remain very limited, for though we have colleges of distinguished 
reputaion dispersed throughout the country, yet the course of edu¬ 
cation they pursue is of too abstract, a nature to be of any essen¬ 
tial service to the interest of agriculture. There can be no doubt 
that those who have no faith in book farming will smile at the idea 
of a college-learnt farmer. But how many things have been smiled 
at as ridiculous at one period, and at a subsequent period hailed 
and applauded as wonderful improvements? We have theological 
seminaries, and medical seminaries, and law seminaries, and mili¬ 
tary seminaries, and each endowed with splendid and costly litra- 
ries, and all the paraphernalia of scientific illustration and experi¬ 
ment, and furnished with able teachers, liberally supported. But 
poor agriculture whose hand sows the seed, and whose arm gathers 
the harvest and the vintage, on which our earthly comforts and 
even our very existence depend, she can have no seminary in which 
to teach her sons the most valuable of all arts. No matter—they 
are nothing but clod-hoppers; if they can learn their letters and 
read the bible, what more can they want to know ? Even our wise 
legislatures can grant supplies for literary and other public insti¬ 
tutions with a liberality which does them great credit, but touch 
the string of agriculture, and it refuses to vibrate ; the whole in¬ 
strument seems paralyzed and makes no music. 
But let me entreat the friends of agricultural improvement still 
to persevere, notwithstanding all these discouraging circumstances. 
Let the disciples of the old school ridicule book farming and laugh 
at the idea of an agricultural college, or of schools to teach the 
farmer how to hoe his corn. As I have already stated, the spirit 
of improvement is awake! Our State legislature already has the 
subject before it, and the agricultural society of the Siate will 
doubtless pursue it with persevering attention. It is true, we can¬ 
not have the credit of setting the example and leading the way. 
Such institutions are already established, and are producing most 
happy results in several parts of Europe; and young men are at¬ 
tending them even from this country. Let us then have the praise 
of setting the example in our own country, and let this State take 
