Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1873 — Advantages of Braining Wet Land. [ARTICLE]

Advantages of Braining Wet Land.

Much of late has been actvanced*jpon the benefit to be derived by not afhpwing any of the rain water to be carried /off by surface drains, and that the whole of it should he admitted, and pass through the soil to the surface below. The argument advanced in favor of such a practice is already carried too far. It is true that rain water contains some fertilizing properties, more especially as regards the ammonia and nitric acid that become combined with it, but which, at all times minute in quantity during very rainy seasons, exisHn the smallest perceptible proportions. Whenever these enter into and become combined with the soil they are, by their affinity, immediately taken up by it and retained to be given out to plants vegetating upon its surface. The greatest amount of injury sustained by soils surcharged with water arises from the exclusion of air and the lowering of its temperature, as well as by the admixture of mineral ingredients with it, which become injurious to vegetation. Air contains substances equally beneficial to vegetation as those contained by rain water —those properties in the latter, before referred to, being taken up in its passage through the air as the rain water descends to the earth. After long periods of drought, when the air has become highly charged with those substances, thequantity brought down by the first shower that falls is far greater in amount than what is brought down by the next and succeeding showers.. In long continuous seasons of rain it ceases altogether, As it is during such seasons that a surcharge of water to the soil becomes most injurious, it becomes apparent that, if a large portion of this matter can at once be carried off from the surface, the necessity of an increased area of drainage below may be dispensed with, especially in districts where the amount of annual rainfall is greatest. Water in a state of evaporation from a surface discharges the heal also; and, therefore, if no other means exist whereby wafer can be discharged from.the soil, it must remain until suffi-cient-heat-is produced by the rays of the sun or liy increased temperature of the atmosphere upon the surface to again, convert it into vapor. During- thisprocess the heat of the soil becomes diminished, especially at the immediate surface; and a soil of a district of naturally higher temperature is reduced to the temperature of one of higher latitude or elevation. This effect has, however, been greatly exaggerated. It has been recentiy computed that the heat lost in the process of evaporation by the sun’s rays of an inch-fail of rain would be sufficient to reduce the temperature of the soil, to a depth of ten inches, no less than ninety-nine degrees. The .more porous the soil, the more rapid is the evaporation; and consequently wehave an explanation why crops upon gravelly subsoils become most affected in the early spring months, and at the same time arrive at a remedy in relieving them from surplus water by drainage. —New York Herald.

Healthful Pies.—l do not see why pies might not be a part of our daily food, and why children might not eat them as safely as -bread-and-butter und plain Trait sauce. The Chief objection would be the labor of making them, but that need not be very great. The hygienists would not agree with me, but I think it the safest way to use a little baking pow’der in the pie crust, then with ordinary Care in baking you will never have heavy crust. The crust will be sufficiently tender if you use only a tablespoonful of butter to shorten each pie—not a heaping one either. Rub this thoroughly into the flour, having previously mixed the baking powder well with the flour. A small teacupful of flour is sufficient for a two-crust pie; a pint, of flour is a liberal allowance for two pies. Use very little cold water to w’et up the dough, having it quite firm as you roll it out. Roll it very thin, as the powder is sure to make it rise a little. Bake pies upon the bottom of the oven. Now, what is there about the crust to give a body the dyspepsia? I like to make Graham piecrusts because they require even less shortening than fine flour crusts in order to make them tender/ I often mix them with just good sour liiilk (usually a little, cream goes in) and a little soda. Very tender crust may be made with cream for mixing, sw’eet cream and a little bakingpowder, or sour cream with a bit of soda. If you do not like the looks of these piecrusts after they are done you can sift powdered sugar over them while warm. The particular general warning for the filling of pies is—beware of too free a use of spices, and use care that they he neither too sour nor too sweet. Plain fruit pies are very good articles of diet.— Faith Rochester in American Agriculturist.