The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1863-01-29
On the Cultivation of Sloughs..the Way %
Break and n..Drainage..Failure Of
& Mole Ditching, &c.


few thoughts on the cultivation of
sloughs. Sloughs are natural drains, to
carry off the surplus water. Some sloughs
are but little lower than the adjoining
prairie; others are 10 deep ravines or hol-
lows; they are kept wet by the rains, and
the water that oozes out of the prairie,
that lies above them, and the springs
that occasionally rise in them. On most
prar'es there is no hardpan within FIVE
or six feet of the surface, and the rains
that fall quickly disappear, but find
their way out gradually at the edges of
the sloughs. Sloughs mostly have hard
pan under them, at the depth of two or
three feet; they are generally smooth
over their entire surface, with no chan
mel to carry off the water. The most of
them have fall sufficient to carry off the
water rapidly, but the heavy coat of grass,
and sometimes two or three old crops of
grass, together with the wide surface
over which it is spread, causes it to drain
off very slowly. The perfect mat of long
fbrous roots of the slough grass, and the
hard pan beneath the surface, prevents
much of the water from sinking into the
earth, consequently some method CT drain
ing is necessary.
There are sloughs on prairies generally
with which | am acquainted, except oc-
casional'y rolling prairie where the wa
ter drains off rapidly, into narrow ravines,
or level prairies where the water slowly
sinks into the ground, or is evaporated
by the sun. | much prefer prairie with
sloughs enough to carry off the surplus
water, to level prairies; for the prairie
containing slough only needs to have the
sloughs drained, while the entire surface
of the level prairie needs draining. It is
thought by many that all our prairie lani
would be benefited by draining, but in
many places cellars are dug FIVE or six
feet deep, that do not need draining, and
potatoes lie buried uninjured two or IL 40
feet beneath the surface of the groul =
through the winter, and part of the "a
and spring. Such land does NOS he Yn
draining. If the benefits and disadys
tages of sloughs were footed up, tn
ance would be largely In favof Of eIoS
One Of the objectiono d "a Il p
Iowa, is its dreadfsl y. N bk.
fap5s iis sataisissgj saSisYssRal 8 's.
tivating 81 ths q .adl
waited fields q 1ssids "a
millions of dollars. orecetl ~ ~
of the best method 81 lsipl
tivating soughs would c1e NJ 4
to settle in Iowa, under t FL i,
law, instead of settling ID 80
braska. and would bring r. pl1
land, that now lies vacant D1 eeoe
sloughs, nearly to the price 0f dry N
adjoining it; besides, it would rid maj
localities of that dreadful sconrge, misc
ma; it would also cause whole fields to b..
cultivated instead Of being cultivated in
patches, as they now are. The greatest
difficulty in the way of cultivating
sloughs is the slough grass; yet, that
killed out, and the draining is compara-
lively easy. The cheapest way that
slough grass can be killed out where it is
not in cultivated field or where it is
not to be brought under cultivation for
two, three or more years, is to lcavesthe
old crop of grass on the ground till the
new crop grows up six or eight inches
high, then burn off all together; then SOW
on red top and timothy, and harrow well
with sharp iron tooth harrow, draw a
furrow or two down the center for a
channel to drain eff the water, aud pas
ture closely for two or three years. In
three years, if pastured close J, the grass
| mill bo Ii ill1I arl cod
7 will be found that will be easily plowed
with two horse team, and speedily de
cay To make hog pasture of slough
with a dry place for them to be fed and
to lie on. is a good way to kill out slough
grass. Sailing cattle on the edges, or
on the ant or gopher hills, helps to kill it
out. If l were breaking and improving
farm, | would break the sloughs at the
same time that broke the adjoining
prairie, unless it was too wet, or not at
/ the ri ght season. The best time to break
sloughs is any time when the ground is
dry enough, between the middle of June
and the middle of August; if too wet or
too early in the season, l would pillow
around the slough and leave it in land
till the proper time to break it; but would
break it the same season so as to cultivate
all together. Sloughs that are set with
tame grass may be broken at any time
when it will do to plow a tame grass sod.
The way to break slough, a narrow
slough that is not too wet, may have a
furrow drawn down its center, and then
be broken in lands with the adjoining
prairie, but if wide or wet, it should,be
taken in seperate land by piowing
around it at the extreme edges of the
slough grass, turning each furrow from
the center. The two last burrows should
be plowed as deep as possible, to make
channel for the water When you
commence to cultivate slough, let your