THE PRINCIPLES OF LAND DRAINAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1308, 16 November 1880, Page 3

THE PRINCIPLES OF LAND DRAINAGE.

[By Rev. Wm. Jenneb.]

Animals kept upon drained land are more healthy than they would be upon undrained land. Thjjs ia,, proved,; to. b.^the case in praotibe ; and -accounted for" by reference to the superior quality ,0,f,,4;he animal' food which the land produces,' and the better influences which the ' land exerts directly upon the I animals kept upon it. The stock have not only a better class of food, but also a wore vigorous life and' consequently a greater protection against disease. The other day a friend, who for a number of years has been fighting with blight on his trees,, told me that h« experience went to show that the best safeguard against blight was a gocd supply of plant food, so as to cause a vigorous growth in the tree 9. In this there is some truth. It is thus the young turnip is able to defy the attack of the jfaltic<i'Mmor ! UHhfOT turnip fly. Similarly, it i«4he case with animals. An insufficient supply of proper food, greatly predisposes an animal for disease. Hence just in proportion as land produces inferior food, deficient in jiourishment, so the stock upon thai; land becomes more liable to disease and unhealthy. The land being wet is cold, and exerts a direct influence upon the animals, producing various forma of disease, and causing them to consume a larger quantity of food than they would do on drained land. Another benefit is the reduoed cost of all tillage operations. Every fanner is familiar with the statement " heavy clay land." Has it ever occured to our readers that clay land is lighter tlian sandy land, and that the cause of the clay appearing heavier is due to the water which it contains? Remove the water and the laud becomes lighter and consequently easier to move. Drained land dries up quickly after rain. We are therefore enabled to work it sooner than we otherwise could do. In very many places we are enabled to dispense with open furrows and to grow the crops on a level surface, by which means we are enabled to increase the produce and obtain a more uniform sample, and thus command a higher price in the markets. How often have we had to s»y this dry season, " The farmeis are getting on well j with all farm work in consequence of I favourable weather." By draining, the j favourable time for getting well on with i farm work is increased every year, and at all seasons of the year. Thus we learn that drainage enables the land to be cultivated with much less labour, and it extends the time during which the work may be clone. Professor Tanner declares that all tillage operations are reduced onei haf by drainage. The author of "The Agricultural Class Book " declares that a saving of one horse in four has been effected in. the tillage of drained land. Let A B be the buvfaco A B of the soil, and C D the C 1) level at which the water 22 F stagnates. The roots will readily penetrate to 0B ; but they will in general refuse to descend farther, because of the unwholesome substances which usually collect there. Let a dry season come, and their roots having little depth, the plants will be more or less speedily burnt up* And if water aßcend from beneath the line CB to moisten the upper soil, it will bring with it those noxious substances into which the roots have already refused to penetrate, and will cause the crop to droop and wither. But put in. a drain and lower the lavel to EF, aud the raiDS will wash out the noxious water from the subsoil, and the roots wilj despend deep into it, so that if a drought again como it way ] paroh the soil above C B as before without injuring the plants, since now they are watered and fed by the soil beneath, into which the roots have descended. 1. The stiff soils are more easily and more cheaply worked ; the labour being reduced about one-half. 2. Lime ami manures will have more ! effect and go farther. 3. Seed time and harvest are more sure and earlier. 4. Larger crops are reaped, and of bettor quality. 5. Nutritive grasses spring up where in* ! ferior grasses formerly grew. 6. Valuable crops of wheat and turnips are made to grpw where scanty crops of oats were formerly the chief return. 7. Staked fallows are rendered less necessary and more profitable rotations can be iutrocluced.' 8. The climate is improved, aud rendered not only more suited to the growth of crops, 1 hit more favourable to the health of man and other animals. 8. The soil is actually enriched by what the rains bring down. 10. By air passing into the subsoil, its character is changed, so as to 'permit its being brought into use,