The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-11-28
FARMERS COLUMN.
LECTURES ON FARM ENGI-
NEERlNG.

We give below, a digest Of lee
ture by Prof. G.. w. Jones, to the
Junior class of Iowa State Agrlcultur-
al College, as published in the Iona
Homestead {:
The object of all drainage is to
get rid Of the surplus water, and all
soils need draining which have such
surplus water at any time and from
any source.
The characteristics Of good drain
age are free outflow, free ingress for
water, we'll regulated descent to t he
end that no stoppages occur, suff-
cient depth, sufficient nearness. In
different fields the several conditions
must be studied, and carefully adapt
ed to the case In hand; for instance,
in very tenacious clay, the drains
must be nearer than in more open
loan.
The sources of water are three !:
springs, whence cold water, with no
fertility; overfow, with its danger
GUS washings; and rain, which in
general is warm, and laden with gass-
es rich in plant food. The first and
second must be avoided, and the wa
ter therefrom carried away iii drains,
out of reach OF plants. The third is
to be retained and filtered through
the soil, its heat and richness taken
up by the earth and cold clarified
water,so grateful to man and so dead
ly to plants, likewise carried off by
the drains wherever in excess.
The general effect of drainage, then,
arc:-1h he warming and enriching of
the soil by the rainfall. Greater mel
lowness and deeper filth. For this
several reasons May be assigned,
chiefly the plants having soil of right
moisture, 40 longer checked by wet
subsoil, send their roots deeper and
work it loose; the wate- passing
through, not standing III the soil,
dissolves tand makes reader passage
for itself, the frosts crumble it. While
the underdrained lands, during wet
weather, grow pasty and puddled, the
drained only grow more friable !;
while the underdrained, during
drouths, sbrinks, bakes, and shows
wide seams, tearing the roots OF
plants on one hand, and On the other
by its hardness preventing their pen
etration and discouraging their growth
the drained, by its mellowness and
porosity attracts moisture does not
crack, admits and fosters the roots of
plants. The presence of water in the
soil in excess, particularly satura-
ted, dead, and cold subsoil, stops the
descent Of roots; i. E. poisons and
kills the roots, thus leaving active
only those at the surface. When
drouth comes, the top soil drying
leave the shallow roots no nourish-
ment, and the plant withers In hot,
dry weather, the air is still laden with
moisture, the mellow soil admits It's
passage, and being somewhat colder
than the air, condenses and retains it.,
so the drained soil stands drouth best.
Mineral and vegetable matter,
when immersed in water, change
slow y or not at all. Wood when
constantly wet (not moist lasts for
centuries. Manures submerged are
yalueless. 10 the end that plants
shall have proper food, the air must
circulate, heat must be added, and
moderate moisture must prevail, fol-
then mineral and vegetable elements
alike lose readiest their old forms
and assume new functions in short
rust and rot, and become true plan
food.
The land is ready to work in tn,
sprink soon after rain. The
drained land is heal hier, less sub
ject to fevers.