38 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
UTILITY OF DRAINING. 
Judge Bued—Dear Sir —Perhaps enough has already been said 
and written, of the wonders wrought by thorough draining, to convince 
the most sceptical of its beneficial effects on lands that really need it. But 
when I look around me, and see so much of the extensive and beautiful 
plains of this neighborhood yielding but a scanty return for the labor be¬ 
stowed on them, and a considerable portion of them almost entirely un¬ 
productive,, for want of this simple improvement, I feel that I shall not 
trespass on the patience of your readers, and may perhaps render them a 
service, by stating some fact's that have fallen under my observation, in an 
agricultural tour through the British isles, &c. during the past year. 
At present, I shall only state what I saw on a single farm, near Stirling,, 
in Scotland, and the conversation I held with the intelligent occupanc.— 
His farm consists of 200 Scotch (equal to 250) acres, most of it so level 
that it was with great difficulty, and only by digging a moat of nearly half 
a mile in length, from 6 to 8 feet wide at the surface and from 4 to 5 feet, 
deep, that he was enabled to make an outlet for the drains. The soil is a 
stiff loam, or alluvial deposit from overflowings of the river Forth; the 
subsoil a tenacious clay; the whole farm is underdrained with tile, at 18 
feet distance from each other, and about 2£ feet below the surface; the 
drains are formed by a flat bottom or sole, and an inverted trough, both 
made of earth and well burnt. When adjusted, they form a drain of about 
12 to 15 square inches; the joints of the tiles are covered with straw or 
swingle tow. From the mouth of each of these drains the water was seen 
issuing in little rills into the common Receptacle, the large open ditch or 
moat above mentioned, through which it w r as discharged into the river. 
The stock yard, embracing an area of about half an acre, was also under¬ 
drained, and the surface perfectly dry, notwithstanding the continual rains 
of winter, which saturate the earth, and, were it not for the underdrains, 
would convert it into mud of great depth, by the treading of the, teams in 
carrying the grain to the threshing machine. 
Drains are also filled with rubble stone, where these are at hand; but 
where the stone has to be carried any considerable distance, so as to make 
the expense nearly equal to tiles, the latter are preferred, as being on the 
whole the best. He estimated the expense Of tile draining, IS feet apart, 
at 5 or 6 pounds the Scotch acre, ($22.20 to $26.66) but was unable to 
tell precisely the amount, the work having been done at intervals, dndthe 
tiles paid for by his landlord. In reply to my remark, that it was a costly 
improvement, he said, “ But it costs a deal more not to do it ,, ‘ —which 
he illustrated, by pointing to an adjoining field, that had not been under¬ 
drained and was grown over with rushes. “ My farm, (said he) before it 
was underdrained was also full of rushes. In spite of my best •efforts in 
tilling and seeding, the rushes would supplant the grasses by the second or 
third year; but not one has been seen since my farm was drained. The 
expense of draining was a matter of mutual understanding between my 
landlord and me, and has proved a benefit to both of us. I have obtained 
an extension of my lease, and my landlord a higher rent in prospect, both 
of us looking to the prospective increase of product for a reimbursement of 
the outlay. The increase of crops has paid the expense in two years, en¬ 
abled me to pay a higher rent, and yielded me a proportional increase of 
compensation for my lab^jr.” 
To give an idea of the importance attached to draining, I will state that 
notwithstanding the extent to which the system is carried, even exceeding 
in some instances the example above given, I saw it stated in one of their 
public journals, that “ there probably is not a well drained perish or farm, 
even in the Lothians.” Exceptinga few isolated farms, I believe it to be 
strictly true; for I saw many districts where this improvement was still 
in progress—some farms on which it was just commenced, and others 
where it was apparently not yet thought of, though it appeared to me to 
be equally needed, and which, as I was told, were naturally as good as 
any, but for want of draining brought only half the usual rent, and “ give 
the tenants but a hard life, of it.” The proprietor, in consideration of the 
low rent, thinks the tenant ought to make the improvement; the tenant, 
in view of the scanty product, and perhaps in prospect of a rise of rent at 
the expiration of his lease, would throw the whole burden on the landlord 
*—and both, mistaking their true interest, agree to get what they can from 
the land with the least outlay. The land, in its turn, requites this unkind 
treatment, by yielding each succeeding year a more scanty crop, and in 
the end blights the prospects of both proprietor and cultivator. 
I am aware that objections may be raised against draining here to the 
extent which is practised in the north of Europe. These objections may 
be embraced under two heads: 
1st. The climate and the nature of our agriculture are different, and do 
not require the same management; and 
2d. The expense, arising from the high price of labor, and the compara¬ 
tively low price of agricultural products, in a country having a sparse po¬ 
pulation. 
Haying already extended this paper beyond my intended limits, I have 
not time now, nor do I deem it necessary , to go into detail to answer these 
objections. Suffice if to say, that the rains of autumn and spring, together 
with the reduction of temperature during winter, render draining equally 
•as necessary in the northern states as in the north of Europe; for I con¬ 
ceive that full half the beneficial effects of draining are referable to the 
temperature of the soil which it produces. Plants, as well as animals, 
have their habitudes, predilections and antipathies, which must be studied 
and consulted, if we would cultivate them successfully. Such as grow 
in water or cold springy ground, are mostly useless as food for animals, 
while those that are most useful to man and beast prefer a warm and dry 
soil, and some even require the additional aid of high atmospheric tempe¬ 
rature to bring them to perfection. Indian corn is one of this kind. The 
uniform failure of this crop in our cold summers, is a fact of general ob¬ 
servation; and although you may grow a spindling, dwarfish stalk. With a 
diminutive ear, on a cold and wet soil, it never luxuriates as in its proper 
element; unless its roots as well as its top are. surrounded by an elevated 
temperature. The Want of solar heat may be supplied to a considerable de¬ 
gree by thorough draining, and ploughing in unfermented manure. The 
secret of Mr. Reybold’s large corn crop (see Cultivator, vol. 3, page 34,) 
lay in the “ long manure,” ploughed Into a soil that is by nature loose and 
dry, and left there undisturbed to ferment. The fermentation of the manure 
warms the soil, and assimilates it to its own nature, and the gases set at 
liberty pulverize and loosen it in their ascent, and also furnish an abun¬ 
dant supply of nourishment for corn and root crops, &c. 
As to the expense, with such as hold the six-pence so near the eye as to 
conceal a dollar at arm’s length, this is an insuperable objection; but as 
they are not the persons to pay 50 cents for your paper, it would be lost 
labor to argue the point with them, through that medium. It is true, the 
price of labor here is something more than it is in Scotland, but the price 
of produce at present is more than proportionably high. I saw beautiful 
wheat sold for 4s. and 6d. sterling ($1,) when the price here was $1.50. 
The large importations of foreign grain of late is a sorry commentary on our 
agriculture, andshould stimulate our farmers to improvement. The Ame¬ 
rican farmer has in the tenure by which he holds his lands, a security for 
any expenditure in the form of improvement, which the English or Scotch 
farmer has not. The former is generally the lord of his domain, and what¬ 
ever improvement he makes increases the value of his land and his fast ca¬ 
pital, while the latter is obliged annually to disburse, in the form of rents 
and. poor rates, a sum nearly or quite sufficient to make the improvement 
under consideration. I would say, (hen, away with the parsimony that 
would starve your tann. See that your litle deeds are valid; remember 
that if you double the product of your lands you double their value) ..and 
that the money you lay out for that purpose, is more safely and more pro¬ 
fitably invested, than it would be in any bank or stock, company. 
Coxsackie, Feb. 16, 1837. _ _A. O. SPOOR. 
HOP CULTURE. 
H. Todd, of Dover, Del. having inquired of us in relation to the culture 
of hops, we have asked and obtained from the Hon. S. Cheever, the 
following answers to the queries propounded. We only add, that the 
sets may be obtained from Judge Cheever, if application is made early. 
Judge Bued — Mr. Todd’s note to you, inquiring in relation to the 
cultivation of hops, is before me. He inquires, 
