The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-09-20
Undertaking Its Advantages.

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John IL. Klippart, an authority on
drainage, condensed the advantages OF
tile drainage under twelve heads: I.
1.-THE drainage removes stagnant waters
from the surface No soil can pro-
duce useful crops when il is covered or
its surface permanently saturated with
water. In wet seasons clay lands hold
the rainfall in the lowest places, and
when it finally evaporates the crop is
destroyed and the surface is baked and
hard. This evaporation also uses a
great amount of heat, which would
otherwise warm the soil. We see, there
fore, that if the water that falls upon
the soil remains until removed by evap-
| Grafton. all the heat which should be
making the soil warm is being wasted
in evaporating the water. One expert
menter made a number of tests in two
adjoining fields, one drained the other
undrained. The average temperature
of the soil in the field that had been
drained was six and One-half degrees
higher than in the other. This is another
reason why drainage enables the earlier
cultivation of a field and lengthens the
season; the ground becomes warm SO
much earlier in the spring and remains
warm later in the fall.
?. 1T removes surplus water from
under the surface.
The best condition of the soil for sue
cessful plant growth is found when
the particles of the soil are moist, but
when there is no standing water among
these particles. In wet seasons, if no
adequate means are provided for re-
moving the excess of moisture that falls
upon the soil. it will be continually sat
urated, and the crops will be as surely
drowned out as though water appeared
on the surface. Again, if the soil be
full of water that which falls upon it
in rain must flow off over the surface,
carrying with it much of the best and
finest Of the soil. Water standing in
the soil causes the vegetable matter TO
undergo acetic fermentation, thus rem
dering the soil sour and unfit for cult
walton. The freezing out of winter
grain is Oftener than from any other
cause produced by the formation of ice
in the upper part of the soil, which
throws out the plant and leaves it to
perish. With good drainage the soil
would be dry when it was time for freez-
ing, and what is called "heaving' would
not occur 3. at lengthens the sea-
sons" Often the yield of a crop de-
ponds greatly on the time it can be put
in the ground. A few days difference
in sowing may make much in yield.
The work can be better and more eco
nomically done because there is more
time to do it. If land is drained it can
be more thoroughly pulverized, and
be in better condition for nourishing
the growing crops. Air in the soil is
necessary as well as moisture, but it
can not penetrate the baked surface.
On drained land the plants will send
their roots deeper into the soil. When
a plant begins to grow in the spring in
an undraincd soil the roots will not pen
citrate into the cold lower soil filled with
water, but run along through a few
inches of the drier surface. When the
dry weather comes the sun completely
dries this out and the plant, having no
other supply. stops growing. On land
that has been underdrained in the con-
dition described as most favorable for
plant growth, moist but with no stand
ing water between the particles, the
plant sends its roots far and deep.
When the sun of summer dries the
ground the plant has communication
with the cool moist soil far below.
The remainder of Mr.. Klippart's
points condensed, most of which we have
touched upon, are: 1t deepens the soil.
1t warns the soil. 1t equalizes the tenn
perature of the soil during the season of
growth 1t carries down soluble sub
stances to the roots of plants. 1t pre-
vents heaving and freezing out. 1t
prevents injury from drought. 1t i'm
proves the quality and and quantity of
the crop. 1t increases the effect of
manureS. 1t prevents rust in wheat and
rot in potatoes.
One important question with all
who have land that needs drain
inc is the cost; Not that it will
not pay but that it needs capital
to do it. 1t can and has frequently
been demonstrated that drainage pays
and pays well. In very wet seasons it
frequently happens that the total fail
ure or success of a crop depends entire
" on the drainage. DIR. Townsend, of
Ohio, states on this point: g one year
underdrained a part of field at cost
of 80. 30 per acre, and at harvest it
yielded 20 bushels more per acre than
the undrained part of the field, and as
the crop brought $1.25 per bushel, the
extra yield paid all the expenses of
draining, and left me little in
pocket" Such instances can be found
all over the country. John Johnston,
of Geneva, N. Y, underdrained
heavy clay farm that produced good
crop of wheat only in the most favor
able seasons, and made it so that he
grew for many years an average of 40
bushels per acre.
On many farms the principal ex-
pense will be for the tile alone, the
work being done by the ordinary help
of the farm at times when other work
is slack. The plans must be laid at the
outset so as to do no superfluOus work.
When the outlet is fixed and the line
established for the main drain, there is
1.-The place to begin; and be sure to make
this drain large enough so as to answer
the purpose during heavy falls of rain
when it is most needed.
Many who have put in drains have
found during the late wet weather that
their mains were not large enough, and
had they to do the work over, and with
their present experience, would put
down tile with nearly double capacity.
There is not great difference in the
size of the tile, to make this difference
in capacity, since the latter is as the
square of the diameter, and therefore
six-inch tile has more than twice the