Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-24
The Young Farmers Catechism.
DRAINAGE.

DRAINAGE.
Question-What is drainage?
Answer-The removal of surplus moisture
from the soil by artificial channels.
Question-How is it effected
Answer-By bitches, by under-drains, and
in some cases by dry wells.
Question-When is drainage necessary
Ansoer-Whenever in arabic land the
water does not settle away promptly after
rains, so as to leave the soil tillable.
Question-Why is drainage necessary
Answer-Because without it such land
cannot be seasonably and properly worked
because valuable crops cannot be made to
succeed there with the certainty necessary
to profit; and because the natural fertility
of such land is not fully available so long
as it remains wet.
Question Give the reasons for this ?
Ans,oer-The reasons are First that when
the pores of soil are filled with water, air
is excluded, and few profitable plants will
grow in land thus water-soaked. Second,
the necessary chemical changes in the soil
needed to develop plant-food in an avail.
able form cannot take place without the
presence of air. Third the presence of so
much water keeps the land at too low tenn
perature. Fourth, the aerial elements of
plant-food, which might be gathered by the
soil from the air when freely passing through
it, are lost Fifth, manures applied to wet
land, remain or become insoluble, and thus
unavailable for plant growth.
Question-What soils most require drain
ageP
Answer-Clay soils and loans, and other
soils underlaid by layers of clay or "hard
pan that hold water.
Question-Are open or surface drains eff
fective for removing water from land
Answer-Low, wet land of an open tex
ture, saturated with water by the overflow
of rivers and lakes, or from springs, may be
brought into good condition for bearing
grass, or sometimes for tillage, by open
drains. But upon heavy upland soils, or
soils with retentive stratum beneath, opeu
bitches would have to be too deep and too
numerous to be practically available.
Question-What is the best method in such
cases
Answer-After making as many bitches
as are needed to free the land from its sur
plus water, construct artifcially permanent
water course in the bottom of each ditch
and replace the earth
Question-What are the best materials for
this water course?
Answer-Experience has shown that hol-
low tubes of burnt clay in sections laid con-
tinuously in the bottom of the bitches, are
the most effective and durable and usually
the cheapest. But good drains may be con-
structed of stone, and less permanent ones
made of brushwood, strips of plank, etc.
Question-What are the essentials of sue.
cess with these underground drains.
Answer-First, there must be good out
fall to carry off the collected water at the
lowest part of the ground to be drained
the main drains must follow the natural
hollows to the outfall and the side drains
must be arranged at regular distances near
drain all the land. All the bitches must be
deep enough to be out of the reach of frost
and the deepest tillage, if possible never
nearer than two feet from the surface. The
grade must be regular and uniform, without
says or short turns, and the joints of the
tiles must be so protected as to prevent the
entrance into them of anything besides
water.
Question-Where may pits or dry wells
be used for drainage?
Answer-In spots where no outfall can be
had. They should go down to porous earth,
(sand or gravel if possible), be stoned up
and safely covered over. Drains may be
made to discharge into such wells SO as to
relieve small areas of ground near them
from their excess of moisture.
Question-When is drainage profitable 2
Answer--When the land drained will re-
turn fair interest on its original value, with
the cost Of the draining added. Where nat
urally drained land is cheap and abundant
it may not pay to drain lots in the vicinity
that need it, Yet often the soil that needs
draining is, when drained, so much more
productive as to pay well, even in compe-
tition with lighter soils that do not require
draining.
Question-What should farmer do who
contemplates draining his land by under
drains
Ans~er-Study the writings Of practical
ditchers, and, if possible visit and consult
with farmers who have successfully drained
their land