see that this apprehension
of over-draining is groundless. The fear is, that crops will suffer in
time of drought, if thoroughly drained. Now, we know that, in almost all
New England, the water-table is many feet below the surface. Our wells
indicate pretty accurately where the water-table is, and drains, unless
cut as low as the surface of the water in the wells, would not run a
drop of water in Summer.

Our farmers dig their wells twenty, and even fifty, feet deep, and
expect that, every Summer, the water will sink to nearly that depth; but
they have no apprehension that their crops will become dry, because the
water is not kept up to within three feet of the surface.

The fact is, that Nature drains thoroughly the greater portion of all
our lands; so that artificial drainage, though it may remove surplus
water from them more speedily in Spring, cannot make them more dry in
Summer. And what thus happens naturally, on most of the land, without
injury, cannot be a dangerous result to effect by drainage on lands of
similar character. By thorough-drainage, we endeavor to make lands which
have an impervious or very retentive subsoil near the surface,
sufficiently open to allow the surplus water to pass off, as it does
naturally on our most productive upland.

OVER-DRAINING OF PEATY SOILS.

No instance has yet been made public in America, of the injury of peat
lands by over-drainage; but there is a general impression among English
writers, that peat soils are often injured in this way. The Lincolnshire
Fens are cited by them, as illustrations of the fact, that these lands
do not require deep drainage.

Mr. Pusey says, "Every one who is practically acquainted with moory
land, knows that such land may be easily over-drained, so that the soil
becomes dusty or _husky_, as it is called--that is, like a dry
sponge--the white crops flag, and the turnip leaves turn yellow in a
long drought."

These Fens contain an immense extent of land. The Great Level of the
Fens, it is said, contains 600,000 acres. Much of this was formerly
covered by the tides, and all of it, as the name indicates, was of a
marshy character. The water being excluded by embankments against the
sea and rivers, and pumped out by steam engines, and the land
under-drained generally with tiles, so that the height of the water is
under the control of the proprietors, grave disputes have arisen as to
the proper amount of drainage.

An impression has heretofo