36 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
The above are six of the best British grasses for either dry or water¬ 
ed meadow r s. They are sown in various proportions with clover and 
rye-grass. 
jis hay grasses adapted for particular soils and situations , the catstail 
or timothyj floating fescue, and florin grasses have been recommended. 
The two last, although indigenous, have not hitherto been artificially 
cultivated in the United States; but the former is very extensively 
employed in the north and east. 
The catstail , or timothy grass, (Phleum pratense,) is often denomi¬ 
nated in the east herdsgrass. It is indigenous, and grows in both wet 
and dry soils. This is one of the most nutritious grasses that is cul¬ 
tivated ; and our experience teaches that it is peculiarly adapted to our 
climate, and to the wants of our farm stock. And it should not escape 
the observation of the farmer, that by the experiments of Sinclair, (see 
table,) it affords more than double the nutriment when cut in the seed, 
to what it does when cut in the flower. In tenacious, moist and strong 
soils, it is entitled to a precedence, perhaps, over any other species of 
grass. Yet, for the reasons already stated, it is not so well adapted to 
be cut with clover, for hay ; while the small product of the after swath 
in our dry hot summers, compared with that of some other grasses, 
shows that it ought not to be relied upon for pastures. Another con¬ 
sideration which renders this grass particularly worthy of cultivation, 
is the seed which it affords, and which may be saved without greatly 
deteriorating the value of the hay. From ten to thirty bushels of seed 
may be taken from an acre of this grass, which of itself, at ordinary 
prices, affords a handsome profit on the crop. 
The floating fescue grass, (F. fluitans ,) grows in rich swamps and 
marshes on large streams. It is found near Philadelphia, New-York 
and on the borders of the Hudson. It is greedily devoured by every 
species of farm stock, including geese and ducks. Yet we do not find 
that any attempt has been made to propagate it artificially. 
The water meadow grass, (Poa aquatica,) is a coarse strong growing 
grass, found in fens, swamps and ditches, often with the Catstail. It 
gives a great product, and is grateful to most animals, but has not been 
Cultivated. 
The florin grass, (Agrostis stolonifera ,) has within a few years been 
brought into notice in Great Britain, by the persevering exertions of 
the Rev. D. Richardson, who particularly recommends it for mountain¬ 
ous districts, where other grasses will not thrive. It requires a moist 
soil, and does well on cold clays and bogs. The peculiar value of the 
florin arises from the concrete sap lodged in its numerous joints. It 
suffers less diminution of bulk and nutriment by frosts, than any other 
grass; and of course is well adapted for winter pasture. The florin is 
propagated by stollens or roots; the ground being previously drained, 
and ameliorated by one or more root crops. The surface is made 
smooth and clean, the strings or roots ate then strewed over it, and a 
compost, consisting of parts of bog ashes, lime and loam, spread over, 
sufficient to prevent the roots being blown away. There are several 
of this family which grow naturally in the United States, one of which, 
the couch, squitch or quick grass, is too well known to require a de¬ 
scription. 
The preparation of the soil, and the sowing of the usual meadow grass¬ 
es, differs in nothing from clover and rye-grass. The after treatment 
of dry meadows, including the making of natural hay, will be found in 
the preceding chapter on the management of grass lands, and that of 
watered meadows was naturally given when treating of their forma¬ 
tion. _ 
DRAINING. 
We have spoken in high commendation of the system of draining in 
Scotland. We find it asserted in the last Edinburgh Quarterly, that a 
thoroughly drained parish does not exist in Scotland, if there be even 
a thoroughly drained farm. Yet the writer adds: 
“ It is the most perfect system in existence. And it has made Scot¬ 
land to be admired and envied by the world. Much of this perfection 
and state of admiration and envy in which Scotland is held, must be 
attributed to draining, partial as it has been. Though silent and se¬ 
cret in its operations, like wholesome medicine, draining has renovat¬ 
ed the constitution of the soil, and suffused a healthful bloom over 
the face of the country. But since partial draining has effected such 
great and pleasing effects, what may not be effected for Scotland, by 
thorough draining.” 
As having general application in all northern latitudes, and under a 
belief that draining present one of the greatest improvements of which 
our husbandry is susceptible, we transfer from the Quarterly, a state¬ 
ment of some of the evils which result from the want of draining, and 
the directions for remedying them:— 
“ When the rain falls on the ground, part of it runs off into ditches, 
and thence into rivers; but the greatest part is absorbed. Plants con¬ 
sume much of this absorbed water; some of it descends into the bowels 
of the earth, and some only as far as the superior stratum of alluvium 
and rock, by which it is repulsed to a lower level, where it afterwards 
finds its way to the air in springs through the cultivated soil, and 
thence into rivers; but a greater portion of it only descends as far as 
the subsoil, which, if impervious, retains it. That which makes its 
appearance in spring, is generally easily led away, in drains made for 
the purpose. Much skill and capital have been expended in this spe¬ 
cies of draining in this country. The benefits are, that few springs 
are now to be seen in cultivated lands, and it is likely those benefits 
will be permanent. What flows into rivers, is ready to be evaporated 
again into the atmosphere from the ocean, and returned to the earth 
in rain. But that which is retained under the soil, in improved layers 
of earth, remains to effect melancholy mischief. While hidden water 
remains, manure, whether putrescent or caustic, can impart no ferti¬ 
lity to the soil; the plough, the harrow, and even the roller cannot pul¬ 
verize it into a fine mould; the grass can contain no nutriment for live 
stock, as the finer sorts disappear, and their places are usurped by 
coarse aquatic plants; the stock can never receive a hearty meal of 
; grass or straw from land in such a state; they are always hungry and 
dissatisfied, and of course, remain in low condition; the trees acquire 
a hard bark, and stiffened branches, and soon become the prey of in¬ 
numerable parasites; the roads in the neighborhood are constantly 
soft and rutted; the ditches and furrows are either plashy, or like a 
sponge, full of water,—suitable receptacles for the newt and frog; the 
i circumambient air is always damp and chilly, and from early autumn 
till late spring, the raw hoar frost meets the face like a wet cloth, 
morning and evening; in winter the frost incrusts every furrow and 
plant with ice, while the snow lurks in crevices behind the sun, till 
i late in the spring—fit feeding grounds of the wood-cock and snipe ; and 
in summer, musquetoes, greenflies, midges, gnats and gadflies, tor* 
j ment the cattle, the laborer and his horses, from morning to night, 
i whilst the sheep get scalded heads, and are eaten up by the maggot, 
| during the hot blinks of sunshine.” 
“The kind of draining which would be most effectual, is not difficult 
to choose. The greatest obstacle to fertility, is the staenant water, 
spread extensively upon a tenacious subsoil; and the only kind of 
| draining which is efficacious for its removal, is not the very deep and 
distantly placed drains, which are admirably suited to the removal of 
springs or spouts, as they are called, whether superficial or deeply hid¬ 
den, but the more shallow drain frequently repeated, for deep drains 
at considerable distances, cannot draw water at those distances, from 
impervious subsoils. The depth at the distance between the drains, 
depends entirely on the impermeability of the subsoil. But it is easy 
to fix the minimum depth. No kind of drain, on any pretext, ought to 
have a smaller depth of stone than eighteen inches, nor a smaller depth 
of earth above them, than one foot. The width should allow a man 
to work freely in them. The distance between the drains, has been 
fixed at the breadth of a ridge, that is, in every furrow. When it 
does not exceed fifteen or eighteen feet, according to the tenacity of 
the subsoil, the distances may be considered to be proper. Much has 
been urged in favor of making the drains up and down the declivity. 
We confess we see no particular charm in the perpendicular position; 
on the contrary, we see many objections to it. We hold it to be a max 
im in draining, that rapid descents of water, in drains, is incompati¬ 
ble with the maintenance of good workmanship. Water descending 
rapidly anywhere, gutters the ground, and so it will in any drain. Be¬ 
sides, the perpendicular position is not the most favorable for inter¬ 
cepting the water in its descent; because it is very rare that the de¬ 
clivity presents only one declination; it is almost always attended with 
two—one up and down, and another from side to side, in the horizon¬ 
tal direction. Down such a declivity, the water will take a diagonal 
direction, guided by the degree of the natural declination. Now it is 
as obvious as any demonstration in dynamics, that drains placed in 
parallel lines, down the face of a declivity, having a two-fold inclina¬ 
tion, that is, diagonally, will afford a much more easy passage lor a 
current of water, than any other direction. The more easy the egress 
of the water, the more gently will it run away, and the more effectu¬ 
ally will it dry the land. The only reason for placing drains up and 
down is, that the furrows are so placed; but it would be better to 
make the ridges run diagonally, than allow water to run quickly in a 
drain, in a perpendicular direction. Small round stones, or broken 
stones, should, in every case, be preferred to tiles, and they should be 
carefully placed by the hand. It is only where stones cannot be ob¬ 
tained, but at great labor and expense, that tiles should be used. 
“This species of draining possesses the advantage of being applica¬ 
ble to any kind of soil; and it will certainly relieve any soil which is 
aflected with any surface stagnant water. If generally practised, it 
would effectually drain the whole country, and remove the chief obsta¬ 
cle that exists to the perfect fertility of the soil. Were the soil thus 
fertilized, the produce of the country, whether in corn, straw, green 
crops or pasturage, would be increased many fold. Wheat and live 
stock would then be so abundant, and of course cheap, that every la¬ 
borer would then be enabled to consume whealen-bread and butcher’s 
meat. Nor is such a national scheme of improvement chimerical. 
One sheep additional kept, or one quarter of corn more raised, on an 
acre, would add millions a year to the wealth of the country.” 
