Farm drainage / The Principles, Processes, and Effects of Draining Land with Stones, Wood, Plows, and Open Ditches, and Especially with Tiles

by Henry F. French

Sept. 7th and 8th, in 24 hours, 6.88 inches of rain fell, the greatest quantity recorded in one day.

In 1846—still earlier by four years—the rain-fall in Waltham was 26.90 inches—the least recorded by the same observations. It fell, as shown in the table: Number of rainy days, 49; total rain-fall, 26.90.

3	days gave between	.05	and	.10	inches.
7	"	.10	"	.20	"
10	"	.20	"	.30	"
6	"	.30	"	.40	"
4	"	.40	"	.50	"
3	"	.50	"	.60	"
2	"	.70	"	.80	"
3	"	.80	"	.90	"
1	"	.90	"	1.00	"
3	"	1.00	"	1.10	"
2	"	1.10	"	1.20	"
1	"	1.20	"	1.30	"
2	"	1.40	"	1.50	"
1	"	1.50	"	1.60	"
1	"	2.40	"	2.50	"

The rain-fall in 1852 was very near the average for thirty years; and the quantity falling in single storms, on sixty-three different occasions, as registered by Dr. Hobbs, was as follows: Number of storms, 63; total rain-fall, 42.24.

7	storms gave	less than					.10	inches.
11	"	between			.10	and	.20	"
9	"	"			.20	"	.30	"
5	"	"			.30	"	.40	"
6	"	"			.40	"	.50	"
5	"	"			.50	"	.60	"
1	"	"			.60	"	.70	"
1	"	"			.70	"	.80	"
3	"	"			.80	"	.90	"
1	"	"			.90	"	1.00	"
5	"	"			1.00	"	1.10	"
1	"	"			1.10	"	1.20	"
1	"	"			1.20	"	1.30	"
1	"	"			1.40	"	1.50	"
3	"	"			1.60	"	1.70	"
1	"	in	5	days			3.16	"
1	"	"	4	"			4.38	"
1	"	"	6	"			5.35	"

These tables are sufficient to show that provision must be made to carry off much greater quantities of water from lands in this country than in England. We add a table of the greatest fall of rain in any one day, for each month, and for the year, from April, 1824, to 1st January, 1859. It also was abstracted from the manuscript of observations by Dr. Hobbs, and will be, we think, quite useful:

Years	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December	Greatest Fall in the Year
1824				0.76	0.67	0.53	0.44	1.90	2.54	0.81	0.76	1.80	2.54
1825	2.16		2.61	0.27	1.23	1.37	0.91	2.51	0.89	1.32	0.71	2.40	2.61
1826	1.80	0.56	1.67	0.89	0.39	1.78	0.87	1.80	1.57	1.37	1.22	1.41	1.87
1827			3.81	1.55	2.42	0.66	1.36	3.16	4.93	2.22	3.85	1.39	4.93
1828	0.60	1.48	1.82	2.06	2.01	1.44	1.52	0.14	1.82	1.52	1.90	0.29	2.06
1829	3.86	1.98	4.12	2.35	1.15	0.97	1.92	0.97	1.39	1.00	1.25	1.58	4.12
1830	1.31		1.17	2.68	2.28	0.78	1.84	2.45	2.40	1.20	2.64	2.44	2.68
1831	0.64	1.48	2.32	2.12	1.79	1.87	2.27	1.00	1.00	2.82	1.24	0.15	2.82
1832	2.68	1.59	2.00	4.48	2.52	1.24		2.13	0.80	1.50	2.60	1.34	4.48
1833	0.83			2.57	0.98	2.03	1.42	0.64	2.75	2.32	3.12	1.27	3.12
1834		0.64	1.31	0.94	2.35	1.87	2.12	0.73	1.25	1.89	2.42	0.92	2.42
1835	1.44	0.88	2.48	2.48	1.18	1.52	4.72	1.32	1.57	3.28	0.74	2.32	4.72
1836	2.72	3.04	2.26	1.86	1.29	2.24	1.04	0.72	0.36	2.04	1.50	1.68	3.04
1837	3.62	1.50	1.14	1.68	1.46	1.30	0.72	0.78	0.66	1.46	0.81	1.68	3.62
1838	1.64	0.75	0.76	1.32	1.40	1.67	0.82	1.40	3.84	1.10	2.46	1.00	3.84
1839	0.70	0.80	0.58	4.06	2.98	0.94	1.08	3.54	0.70	1.60	0.80	1.92	4.06
1840	1.68	2.20	1.54	2.12	1.16	1.08	1.40	2.72	1.28	1.04	3.72	1.12	3.72
1841	1.44	1.12	1.32	1.64	0.90	0.75	0.64	2.82	2.78	2.66	1.05	1.70	2.82
1842	0.54	1.22	1.16	0.64	0.47	2.10	0.68	1.44	0.96	0.34	1.10	2.02	2.10
1843	1.60	1.64	2.50	1.34	0.34	1.04	1.98	2.58	0.52	1.94	1.28		2.58
1844	4.14		2.06	0.24	0.58	0.78	0.86	1.34	1.76	2.30	1.86	1.28	4.14
1845	2.42	1.70	1.14	0.70	1.02	1.03	1.20	1.66	0.88	1.16	3.32	1.46	3.32
1846	1.54		2.46	1.16	1.18	0.82	1.46	0.49	0.56	0.55	0.54	1.02	2.46
1847	1.18	2.74	1.66	1.12	0.84	1.28	0.56	1.86	2.16	0.64	2.74	3.02	3.02
1848	1.44	1.56	2.68	0.68	2.28	1.00	0.72	1.24	1.48	2.96	0.88	1.00	2.96
1849	1.36	0.40	2.30	0.92	1.28	0.72	1.52	2.08	1.12	2.60	2.48	1.76	2.60
1850	2.56	1.92	1.84	2.68	2.80	1.20	1.20	3.68	6.88	1.04	2.16	1.92	6.88
1851	0.80	1.84	0.56	3.60	1.92	1.12	0.96	0.32	1.15	1.47	2.25	0.89	3.60
1852	1.06	0.88	1.15	4.38	1.47	1.69	0.66	4.16	1.19	1.61	1.59	0.89	4.38
1853	0.92	1.33	1.03	1.12	2.39	0.42	1.03	2.36	2.14	1.95	1.67	1.35	2.39
1854	0.83	1.60	1.25	1.88	2.57	1.50	1.58	0.48	2.33	1.82	3.25	1.43	3.25
1855	3.37	3.08	0.80	1.33	0.39	1.23	1.93	0.75	0.70	1.77	2.22	1.24	3.37
1856		1.30	0.63	1.97	2.93	0.66	1.30	4.23	2.42	0.87	0.88	1.20	4.23
1857	1.50	0.54	1.55	3.68	1.28	0.96	2.43	2.00	0.87	3.54	0.67	1.28	3.68
1858	1.12	1.18	0.35	1.28	1.00	3.86	1.35	2.21	1.64	1.22	1.36	1.40	3.86

The following table shows the record of rain-fall, as kept for one year; it was selected as a representative year, the total quantity falling being equal to the average. For the year 1840: Number of rainy days, 50; total rain-fall, 42.00.

Days	January 1840	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
1				0.55	0.14			2.72		0.64
2								0.08		0.05
3			0.32
4						1.08	0.10
5					1.16				0.63
6								0.50
7
8						0.20
9							0.25				3.72
10		2.20							1.28
11								0.10
12				2.12							0.54
13						0.14						1.12
14		0.58						0.70
15											0.36
16
17
18
19						0.82	0.24		0.68			1.04
20			1.54							0.44
21					0.98					1.04
22				0.52							2.20
23	1.68							0.96			0.18
24							1.40
25								0.16			0.35
26				0.18
27						0.17			0.30
28
29				1.80			0.10			1.40
30			1.42							0.08		1.04
31
Total	1.68	2.78	3.28	5.17	2.28	2.41	2.09	5.22	2.89	3.65	7.35	3.20

The average quantity of rain which has fallen in Waltham, during the important months of vegetation, from 1824 to 1858 inclusive—a period of thirty-five years—is for—