The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-12-06
Land Drainage IN the West.

Draining land by the employment Of
tile placed several feet below the sur
face Of the ground has made but little
progress in the Western States until
within the past few years The great
advantages Of this method of draining
damp soils were demonstrated in vari-
GUS parts of Europe many years ago,
and the system there pursued was in
troduced into some of the Eastern
States. There was greater necessity
Tor undertakings in the West than in
the East, for the reasons that the sur
face of the land is more nearly level and
the soils more retentiye OF moisture. II
Is also true in respect to many portions
Of the West that the rainfall is very un-
equally distributed during the year.
There Is n great excess during the early
Part of the season and deficiency dur
ing the latter portion. The desirable
ity of thorough, systematic and scien-
liiic land drainage was acknowledged,
but several reasons prevented its adop-
ton. Many farmers were in debt for
their land, or for improvements they
had made on IL. Others owed consider
able for farming implements and stock.
Still others were DESTROYS of buying
more land in the vicinity OF their farms
while it was still comparatively cheap.
All these persons hesitatcd about Dor
rowing money to improve their places
by laying drain-tile. A farmer who has
just got out OF debt hesitates TO plunge
In again. He realizes such relief from
great burden that he is reluctant to
assume new one. Farmers who are
land-hungry are reluctant to pay out as
much money to drain piece OF land as
II Will cost TO purchase another piece of
equal extent. Besitos. many farmers
have neglected to drain their land ior
want OF information on the subject. aud
on account OF u lack OF material within
easy reach.
The present is favorable time for
Western farmers TO consider the pro-
priety Of draining their low lands.
Most OF them have money 10 invest.
Some desire more land, but they find it
hard TO obtain in the vicinity OF their
homes. They can do no better than TO
render the land they have more produc-
tive by means Of drainage. On many
farms there are tracts that produce
nothing but coarse grass that is of lit
tie value for TX. These low tracts |
can be rendered the most productive |
of any on the farm by the iudicious |
use OF drain-tilc. Low land receives
the wash of that which es above It,
and in time becomes very rich in all
the elements OF plant food. BY the
use OF drain-tilc the area Of plowable
land can he greatly increased on large
proportion Of prairie farms. by the
ANNE means the productivcncss oil much
hnd that can be plowcd in favorable
seasons can be increased In many
cases tho yield OF nearly all the cult
waited crops can be doubled By the
adoption OF II suitable drainage II
farmer wishes to IN ST more than he |
now does, and has the choice between
buying mvro aud and draining what he
owns, il is better to select the latter
cour Q. BY 50 doing he will save ienc-
ing and taxes. He will also save much
labor. No more blowing and cutivat-
ing, and but title more labor in harvest
mg, are required TO produce u large
crop. than small one. Drainage IN
crcases the quality rs well ~ the guam
ti,y OF crops. 1t also lengthcns ont the
season in W ich the land can he worked
1t enables the farmer to plow earlier in
the spring and later in the fail. II also
enables him TO do better work with any
implement he uses in the soil. 1t helps
insure crops aglin.t bad seasons.
However desirable undGrdraina1c may |
be. it should not be undertaken without |
due consideration. A farmer should |
learn before he commences operations |
how much the improvements are to
cost. He should ascertain where he |
can OBTAIN tile, the cost nj the manu-
factory, and the cost oil transportation.
lie should also learn how to dig bitches,
lay The tile, and place the earth about
them. Dltching is an art that requires
considerable skill. Many farmers have
lost heavily by attempting 10 under
drain land with the aid OF such knowl-
edge rs they have derived from u news
paper article or u circular sent out by
some tile factory. Unless farmer is
willing TO spend considerable time in
learning how to do the work properly,
and TO purchase the necessary tools and
implements, he will find il profitable to
employ the services of surveyor to lay
out tho work, and to engage IN expert
encod ditcher to perform it. Much can
be learned by visiting some pc ton of
Indiana or Illinois, where much land
has been drained. Excellent works on
farm drainage have been written, which
give in detail nearly all the informa-
ton required to enable an intelligent
farmer to do all the work. - Chicago
Times.