Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-02
Advantages of Tile Drainage.

A system of thorough tile drainage is
being very generally adopted by many of
the progressive and enterprising farmers
of some of the older settled western states.
Its advantages in wet season like the
present are most apparent. The farmer
can, by judicious system Of drainage and
thorough lillage on bis rich bottom lands,
easily protect his business from either ox-
treme, wet or drouth, and he can make
his soil warmer, his crop growing season
longer; he can arrange to work his ground
quicker after rains, and get ahead of the
weeds, instead Of weeds getting ahead of
him. thereby keeping the growing crop
clean easier and with less labor, which
means cheaper is, bigger profits.
The advantages of tile drainage are thus
summed up in an exchange by an Illinois
| farmer:
l. 1t prevents any possible damage
! from flooding or excessive rains.
| 2. 1t enables one to work land sooner
after rains-almost Immediately, where
there is a network of tile.
g. 1t is equally as good protection
from the other extreme-excossive drought
lin several ways.
| d. 1t lengthens the season for labor and
vegetation BY rendering the soil earlier in
spring. and keeping Oft the effects of cold
weather longer in the fall
| 5. 1t deepens the surface soil and les,
sens its cooling by evaporation.
s. 1t prevents surface washing by draw
ing the water down through the soil as fast
as it falls Eventually, thereby also secur-
ing the benefit of whatever fertilizing ma
terial it contains.
7. 1t enables the soil also to receive a
larger supply Of the fertilizing gases ofthe
atmosphere (carbonic acid and ammonia),
because more open and porous for passage
of air.
/ 8. 1t promotes fine filth by rendering
the soil more friable, and becomes mellow
as garden bed for crops.
8. 1t diminishes evaporation, thus rails
ing the temperature of the soil, and warns
the lower portions Of the subsoil.
10. ltprevents the heaving out of grain,
lessening the chance of winter killing.
II. 1t prevents land from becoming
sour, and replaces stagnant water with
life giving air and warmth to the plants.
-. 1t facilitates the chemical action by
which the constituents of the soil are pre-
pared for plant food, and by which its
mechanical texture is also improved.
10. 1t lessons the formation of a hurt
full crust on the surface after rains in hot
weather.
H. It facilitates the hauling Of loads
over the field, and renders land less liable
to injury from the treading of cattle.
IS. Facilitates the destruction of weeds,
because the soil, becoming more iriable,
, does not cling in n mass to their roots
when torn up in cultiva ion, and the soil
is worked easier as well rs far more
thoroughly with less effort.
l6. II preserves more equal degree
of moisture in the sol! under all circum-
stances, since it not only renders lis satu-
ration with water impossible, but keeps it
ia such condition of pulverization that in
, times of drought it absorbs moisture by
capillary attraction from the air thus en-
, abed to pass through it Qrom the soil
/ upwards), and never becomes PAL ched and
baked as in the case of undra ID lands
= Il. 1t removes all malaria.
Is. Lastly, it reduces farming from q
I business of uncertain meagre profit TO ore
g of absolutely certain and lucrative profit
q Finally, wheo we reflect that land thor
;, oughly Tiled will every year produce @
a heavier and cheaper cultivated crop thar
n well untitled land under the most favorable
2 season that may happen, why delay t.
Il adopt itP Experience has shown tina
, twenty five to one hundred per cent prof
q i, realized 10 judicious expenditure for Ill
d ing, and that the increased profit for thu
o SO son will repay the entire cost Oh thol
d oughly tiliing tract Of land, therefore
\ permanent investment Ito that amount,
!. What investment is more lucrative tina
that of the farmerP