Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-10-20
Experience In Undertaking.

IL
called undertaking is not so poorly
done as to prove Of only temporary
benefit. AS matter of course, drains
whose outlet is imperfect soon clog and
become valueless; but it is not so gen.
orally known that where the fall is
slight, very little depression is sure in
time to cause an obstruction to the
water. In many places the ground will
be little softer than the average. Here
the spade will tend to 60 little deeper,
or perhaps the tile in such places will
settle trife. To whatever extent it
| goes below, the next tile toward the out
let is speedily filed with dirt. I have
| dug up drains in which, in some tile,
the flow was confined to an inch or
even less at the top. Because you put
in three or four-inch tile, it is no sign
that you will have that volume of water
at the outlet unless care is taken to have
fall through every tile, and as nearly
uniform as possible. If water is drained
from steep hillside through low,
| pearly level piece of land, the tile on
the lower part must be correspondingly
larger, or the water will inevitably break
out over the top of the drain. In water
conduits this is provided against by ex.
ira strength of pipe through the de-
pressed part of the line. But in tile.
draining each piece of little more than
foot length is separate, and the same in
terstices through which the water finds
its way into the tile will allow its egress
if the pressure is too great.
The first bitches which helped make
were laid thirty years ago this fall. Tile
was then not much known, and being
reckoned more expensive than stone was
little used. We dug the bitches with a
broader bottom than is now done, a row
of stones was laid on each side, and a
flat stone across the top. Then we filled
in five to ten inches or more with small
Ter stone, covering with straw, and
finally filling in with the dirt thrown out.
We were at first very particular to throw
back the same dirt, so as to get the SUBJ
soil down to the bottom of the ditch;
but we soon learned that this was not
important On some kinds of very
mucky soil the clay from tho bottom of
the underdrain effected an important
improvement in the mechanical condi-
ton of the surface. We soon learned
also that the double row of stones, one
on each side of the bottom of the drain,
was worse than useless. A flat stone,
even with the piles of other stone and
earth above it, did not bind the bottom
walls. In heavy freshets one side or
the other was apt to be washed out of
place and choke the drain-not entirely,
perhaps, but greatly decreasing its eff
cheney. Our later stone drains are
mostly made with one side stone, and a
fattish stone braced against that and
the opposite bank. The drain thus
made is only half the size OF one where
two side stones are used; but what we
have is reliable, and not apt to get out
of order. Most drains are made much
larger than they need be. Because
flood of water passes through a hollow
once or twice year, it does not follow
| that an underdrain need be made large
enough to accommodate it. The effect
of undertaking is to secure a more
equable flow of water. Much of the
floods of spring will be absorbed by the
porous soil drained to the depth of three
or more feet. twill look gradually into
the drains, and what was formerly vio-
| lent flood of few hours will now fill
moderate-sized drain a week or more.
On two of my lots have often seen the
water piled back a week or more in
spring, covering nearly an acre, and in
some places ten inches in depth. l have
never known any bad result from this,
even on winter wheat; but rather a de-
cided benefit from the sediment depos-
tied. The drains underneath were
working all the time, gradually taking
away the pure, clear water, leaving all
the fertilizing elements it contained in
or on the soil. On grass lands this an
nual overflow is very important. 1t is
beneficial where the surplus water is
carried off by surface drainage, but
much more so if the soil is underdrained.
The capacity of small drains is gen.
orally much moderated. With the
very light fall of three inches in one hun
dred feet, two-inch tile in good order
will discharge ten thousand gallons OF
water every twenty-four hours, while if
the fall is increased to six inches per one
hundred feet the discharge will be fif-
teen thousand gallons. Unless surface
| water is diverted to the drain, there is
rarely any necessity of making one not
more than forty rods long larger than
find it safer, if the fall is so light, to use
three-inch horseshoe tile rather than
smaller size to get uniform flow of two
inches. The inevitable jog and slight
depressions with the most careful laying
will make fully that difference.
When well laid and with the outlets
looked after every spring, an under
drain will last forever. The water
course once established, the water itself
will make its own way through the
drained ground, perhaps with some OBJ
structions, but never entirely clogging
up. This, however, is not the case if
the drain is neglected a few years; but
the annual care of seeing that the out
lets are kept clear is very little trouble
or expense compared with the benefit.
have found this spring the drains in
good order that 1 helped make when
only lad, thirty years ago. Some laid
since have partially filed up, but it is
only because they have been neglected.
With a little labor in clearing the out
lets, and perhaps a rod or two beyond,
they will do good service for many years
to come.-Witliaza j. FoaOler, IN Erans-
liner and Chronicle.
-Philadelphia Pie.-Three apples,
| fhroo nf milk