. A guide to the Illinois Central Railroad lands . .—With a view of benefitting the settlerson the Illinois Central Railroad lands, the Company haveoffered a prize of $500 for the best Ditching Machine; theState Board of Agriculture to be the arbiters. In the gen-tle depressions of the prairie, the surface-waters accumu-late, and form what are provincially known as slues. Byfreeing the soil from this superfluous water, these lands maybe converted into the finest meadows, and the health of thecountry greatly improved. The uplands may be renderedsufficiently dry by intersecting the surface with
. A guide to the Illinois Central Railroad lands . .—With a view of benefitting the settlerson the Illinois Central Railroad lands, the Company haveoffered a prize of $500 for the best Ditching Machine; theState Board of Agriculture to be the arbiters. In the gen-tle depressions of the prairie, the surface-waters accumu-late, and form what are provincially known as slues. Byfreeing the soil from this superfluous water, these lands maybe converted into the finest meadows, and the health of thecountry greatly improved. The uplands may be renderedsufficiently dry by intersecting the surface with frequentfurrows, and throwing up short slopes between them,without a resort to under-drains. So finely divided is thesoil, and so free from roots and stones, that no serious ob-stacle exists to the introduction of some mechanical contri-vance for draining the slues, more expeditious and moreeconomical, than the present method of spading; particu-larly, if it be applied during the wet season, when theground is thoroughly saturated with water. 27. BREAKING AND CULTIVATING. Notwithstanding the fertility of the soil, it is idle tosuppose that the land is going to bring forth its increasespontaneously. God has not yet removed the doomplaced upon our great ancestor: In the sweat of thybrow, thou shalt eat bread. These lands are not cultivat-ed, ordinarily, in a husbandman-like manner. The farm-ers plough only four or five inches deep, and consequentlyif the season is dry, the moisture cannot come up frombeneath; and if the season is wet, the water has no chanceto leach away. A hoe is seldom introduced into thecorn-field, but a cultivator is once or twice during theseason run between the rows, and followed by the shovel-plough. The usual process pursued in subduing a farm is this :In the months of May and June the sod is turned should be delayed until the grass has started, and fin-ished before it has matured, as the roots sooner part withtheir vitality. In six weeks the sod
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecad, booksubjectrealproperty, bookyear1861
