222 THE CULTIVATOR. July 
such animals, seemed quite preposterous. I have heard 
several Dutchmen say that they considered pork as an in¬ 
ferior kind of meat, and am no longer disposed to won¬ 
der at their prejudice, especially if they have ever had 
their attention drawn to one of these creatures while 
living. Yours truly, John P. Norton. 
NOTES OF A TRAVELLER IN ENGLAND.-No. 5. 
Draining—Irrigation. —In the advancement of ag¬ 
riculture in England, draining bears a most impor¬ 
tant part. It is now being adopted in all well cul¬ 
tivated districts, and the beneficial effects are every¬ 
where apparent. It is not improbable that the ex¬ 
cessive moisture of the climate in England, requires 
more thorough draining of the land, to remove the ex¬ 
cess, than with ns. The drains most frequently used 
in English husbandry, are blind, or covered, so that 
there is no loss in the cultivation of the land. From a 
careful inquiry as to the beneficial results of systematic 
draining, I am satisfied that in very many instances, 
the product of the land has been more than doubled, and 
its value increased in like proportion. 
The depth and width of the drains must of necessity 
vary, as the nature of the soil, the quantity of water 
to be removed, and the descent which maybe obtained 
in the drains, may render necessary. I should judge 
from what observation I was enabled to make, that 
from thirty inches to four feet was the usual depth, 
though in many instances a much deeper drain is used. 
Prof. Johnston recommends that drains should be at 
least three feet in depth, and his recommendation meets 
with much favor. Draining tiles are generally pre¬ 
ferred, and they are at present probably the cheapest 
article that can be had for the construction of perma¬ 
nent drains in most parts of the kingdom. Considera¬ 
ble care is necessary in covering them. It is said, and 
I doubt not truly, that the number of acres of land here¬ 
tofore worthless, which have been rendered valuable and 
productive by means of systematic and thorough drain¬ 
ing, now amounts to many millions of acres. Much, 
however, yet remains to be done, before the entire coun¬ 
try will be brought under such a complete system as 
will enable the farmer to realize from his land all that 
good husbandry in this respect would give him. 
The actual decrease of moisture in well drained por¬ 
tions of the kingdom, has been satisfactorily established. 
The health of those districts where thorough draining 
has been resorted to, has been obviously improved. This 
is so apparent, that those engaged in the inquiry as to 
the causes of the surprising mortality which still exists 
in some sections of the country , have made care&il exa¬ 
minations as to the results on health, and have given it 
as their opinion that the mortality in these districts has 
been diminished more than one-third. The subject in 
this point of view is attracting much attention, and it 
will doubtless be urged upon the public until a thorough 
system is adopted throughout the entire kingdom. 
In Ireland it is far more needed than in England, 
much less having been done. The government are at 
present turning their attention to this and other means 
of improvement, and unless the landholders become 
wise to their own best interests and adopt improvements 
themselves, it is not improbable that parliament will be 
compelled, in order to save the millions of the laboring 
population of Ireland from absolute starvation, to force 
the landholders to enter into these measures. That 
Ireland can support her own population, if proper means 
are adopted in the cultivation of the soil, no person who 
has visited that fertile isle can for a moment doubt. 
That great improvement may be made in lands in 
this country by thorough draining, is apparent from the 
success which has attended what has already been 
done. Many of our farmers are turning their attention 
to it, and wherever an Englishman or a Scotchman set¬ 
tles, an example is given in this respect which our 
countrymen are prone to imitate. Was this much 
more common than it is, the productions of the land 
and a greater certainty of a crop, would satisfy every 
farmer, that much might be learned in this matter, to 
our advantage, by following a practice which has proved 
of such immense advantage across the water. 
Irrigation is practiced to a considerable extent, and 
when judiciously conducted, with most surprising re¬ 
sults. In many sections of the country, every little 
stream is used to advantage. Dams are erected, and 
slight ditches, so as to water the whole surface, are cut 
through the fields, and the land is flooded as occasion 
requires. The increased product is in many cases very 
great. The grass land is mostly benefitted, but on 
some grain crops I saw it used to advantage, though 
great care is required, lest the crop should be injured 
by an excess of water. In the neighborhood of some 
of the large towns, where the streams receive the wash 
of the sewers, I have observed a remarkable fertility in 
the meadows and grass lands. 
The agriculture of England never could have attained 
its present state of improvement, had not attention 
been given to the adoption of every available means to 
enrich their lands, and thus secure a bountiful return in 
the crops. There are, it is true, many portions of the 
country, where these and other improvements have not 
been fully carried out,—-but those portions are constant¬ 
ly lessening in extent, and the time is not far distant, 
when they will in a great measure be only known in the 
recollection of the past. 
If this practice is thus useful in the moist climate of 
England, how. much more advantageous would it prove 
with us, when our lands are so often parched by the 
burning heat of summer, which is rarely known there 
Irrigation and draining should go together, as there is 
danger frequently of a surplus of water, and the drains 
will take off what is more than sufficient for the health¬ 
ful growth of the grain or plants. 
It has been often said to me by gentlemen, that the 
methods of English husbandry cannot be adopted here. 
I am aware that there are some practices there that can¬ 
not be made to apply here, nor be suddenly introduced; 
it is necessary to proceed with caution—but it will be 
of immense advantage to our farming interests, if at¬ 
tention is given to practices which have been success¬ 
fully adopted elsewhere. In this way we may learn 
from the experience of others, select those methods 
which are suited to our climate and our circumstances; 
and thus, without loss of time, we may avail ourselves 
of their experience, which has cost years of labor and 
vast expenditure of m«ans. Draining and irrigation 
may be adopted wherever necessary, and without such 
an expenditure as to render them burdensome. The in¬ 
crease of crop, the advantage to health, and the re¬ 
claiming of land now unproductive in many cases, would 
lead to results most beneficial to the agricultural inte¬ 
rests of this country. H. 
RURAL NOTICES ABROAD— No. VI.— By Caius. 
Lombardy. —The most striking rural feature of Lom¬ 
bardy, is the festooning of the vines from tree to tree 
along the way. The country is flat, and exceedingly 
productive, and reminded me frequently of the richest 
portions of the meadows along the Connecticut river. 
The roads are broad and kept in excellent condition; 
on each side, through all the rice growing portions of 
the country, are large ditches, from which the water is 
drawn off as needed, for the rice fields beyond them. 
Just across these canals, are lines of trees running for 
miles parallel with the road, and through a large part 
of the kingdom, absolutely burthened with vines. 
The water of the canals is also used for irrigation of 
