Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-10-14
Iowa SlOughs-HOW can They be
Drained and Made Ar0blcf


Iowa Sloughs-HOw can They b.
Drained and Made Arablcf
Editor Of the Register:-Four or hive
years residence in Iowa, our adopted
State, with some opportunities tor OBJ
servation, has fully induced the belief
that an average, at least, OF two acres
to every eighty, throughout the State
may be set down as too wet tor profit
able cultivation.
iowa sloughs" have long had no
toriety as widespread, at least, as from
Maine to California. Who, indeed
that has travelled over our beautiful
prairies in the spring time, summer, OF
autumn, and cannot call to mind many
sad encounter with the inevitable
slough? Who that has travelled by
"short and easy (?) stages" and has not
taken his regular turn at carrying the
rail on his back In slang parlance,
who has not been stuck in the mud,
with nothing left in sight to betoken a
1orlorn hope, but solid stovepipe
hat, and perhaps a pair or two OF mules
ears?
But TO return. We have estimated
two acres OF wet land to every eighty
as an average. This would give Polk
county alone nearly 10000 acres OF
waste or untillable land and in the
State nearly 100000 acres. This is q
large amount of land to remain use
less, and in many cases worse than use.
less.
We do not make this estimate how
ever, to the disparagement of Iowa !;
and we wilt venture the prediction
right here, that when the Legislature
OF Iowa, land owners, "or any other
man" shall adopt and carry out some
system Of thorough drainage, these
same worthless sloughs, Says, swamps,
swales, cat holes, and all lands that are
now too wet for profitable tillage, will
become the richest, and most product
i've land il, the State. Besides being
these waste places some
times extend entirely across section,
or quarter section, or an eighty, and
often lie in such form as to divide and
sub-dlvide the arabic parts OF farm
into small aud irregular patches, un-
pleasant to plow, plant, &c. They
are, after all, onl y such natural drains
as ages have produced in fulfilling the
laws Of gravitation;-natural charac-
teristics OF Iowa, o. any other coun-
try, having a rolling, undulatins sur
face, with soil from four to six feet in
and OF loamy, loose, and
porous nature.
1t needs no argument here to prove
that these wet lands may be, and
should be, etfectually drained and rem
dered productive; but the question is
hoe shall we drain?
In different parts Of the United
States. different methods have beer
employed to accomplish the same ends
In some parts of New York, and il
some OF the New England States where
rocks and pebbles are abundant on the
surface, trenches are dug in the we:
places three or four feet deep and one
foot wide at the bottom. These are
then filled one or two feet deep witt
rocks, covered with straw and earth
and serve the double purpose Of dis
posing Of both the rocks and the wa
ter.
On the large marshes and swamps
Of Wisconsin, open bitches have been
used extensively and with good sue
cess, by rapidly conveying off large
portion OF the surplus water; but fol
Iowa sloughs. the open ditch would be
open also to many and serious objec
tons. They must be kept open, and be
deep, to be of much service and then
who would like a plow-field divided
by ditch or by two or three of them:
Let us hope We have seen "the las,
ditch"
Covered drains, constructed of some
durable material are undoubtedly the
most efficient, and in the end the most
economical, although costing some.
thing more in the beginning. In tim.
Der countries, lumber may be used
with tolerable effect for undcr-d drains,
although perishable; and tie NoA
Drainer drawn by strong OK team for
forcing holes horizontally through the
clay subsoil did not prove a success
generally; while water cement, although
a good drain where there is
bit little water, seems too expensive
and too slow OF construction Tor extcn.
sive use.
We are informed that tile draining is
the only successful method employed
in English agriculture, and that the
land owners find 1t to their advantage
to thoroughly underdrain i'll view Of
the additional rent they arc able to oh.
tain tor the use of their lands. If till
draining pays in England, will it net
also pay in Iowa? We have here an
OF potters clay OF the best
quality, and when moulded and sufiici
emily burned, will not dissolve 0,
crumble.
1t should be placed two to three fee,
below the surface, with a near outlet
and by such means durable stock wa
ter summer and winter may be obtain
co in many places, sufficient alone to
paw for the drain.
Wearetoldtherc is company in De,
MONIES that is preparing to manutac
turc the Tile Dram on large scale
and will doubtless advertise their ware.
in due time.
Has Iowa any laws in regard te