12 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jan., 1898. 
In connection with the various methods that have- been described for 
the purpose of supplying nitrogen to leguminous plants by means of their 
specific organisms, it must be borne in mind that these processes will not pro- 
duce satisfactory results unless there is a proper supply of organic and mineral ° 
manures, as potash, lime, and phosphoric acid, in the soils on which the crops 
are cultivated.— Journal Board of Agriculture, England. 
FARM DRAINAGE. 
As dairy farming takes the place of the ruder forms of agriculture, the farmer 
begins to see the necessity of having no idle acres on his farm. He learns that 
the highest economy in cow handling is to keep only good cows, and then keep 
each cow up to her highest productive capacity. Just as he departs from these 
well-grounded principles will he be punished therefor by a loss of revenue, 
These principles do not depend on the price he receives for the product. The 
work just the same, and must be obeyed more thoroughly in times of low prices 
than when prices are good, for only through their observance then can any 
profit at all be made. 
So in the same relation to final profit stand the several acres of the farm, 
In dairying we farm by the acre and the cow. Lach individual acre and each 
cow must come as near the average standard of good work, and to some profit 
at least, as our own intelligence and energy can make them. Acres and cows 
are simply forces, the same as are the men, horses, and guns of anarmy. One 
general handles these forces skilfully, and wins victory, even under great 
discouragements; another goes to defeat, even with a thoroughly well. 
equipped army. ‘The same quality of a wise understanding of forces and good 
generalship is needed, especially on a dairy farm. 
Many thousands of dairy farms have too many idle, unprofitable acres, 
They cost as much annually in interest, fencing, and taxes as the good acres, 
Much of this idleness and unprofitableness comes from bad drainage. It is a 
part of good dairy farming to bring all these forces or acres into active work 
for the owner. ‘Uherefore the question of tile drainage becomes an important 
one to consider on very many dairy farms. From that most excellent monthly, 
the Drainage Journal, we take the following data on this subjegt :— 
THE DEPTH AND DISTANCE APART OF UNDER-DRAINS. 
The readiness and rapidity with which soils drain depend upon the fineness 
and compactness of the soil particles composing them. If the material to be 
drained were coarse sand, a single drain might have an effect for several 
hundred feet on each side of it, whereas if it were close clay of certain kinds 
the effect of the drain would reach, perhaps, only 15 ft. on each side. <,, 
Dig a hole in the ground when the soil is saturated, and observe how 
rapidly the water fills it. Note the effect which any newly dug open ditch or 
natural drain has upon the adjacent soil. If these fill very slowly, the drains 
must be placed somewhat near, perhaps not more than 80 or 40 ft. apart. 
On the other hand, drains may be placed 50, 80, 100, or even 200 ft. apart in 
some soils, and the effect be all that is desired. 
The depth at which it is profitable to place the drains is also contingent 
upon the character of soil treated, though it may be stated, as a general rule, 
that lateral drains should be 3 ft. deep. There are, however, many soils 
which may be drained 4 ft. deep. Orchards and fruit gardens should be 
drained to this depth, while there are soils underlaid with hardpan, containing 
in themselves no fertility, in which care should be taken to locate the drains as 
near as possible on the line separating the soil proper and the clay. If the 
soil is open, so that water percolates freely through it, the depth may be 
increased and the distance apart increased proportionally. 
