Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-09-14
Underdraining-Its Advantages.

l. To understand how it is beneficial we
must consider some of the characters.
tics of the soil and the requirements. OF
successful plant growth. The late John
Fl. Klippart, an authority on drainage,
tcondensed the advantages of tile
drainage under IL heads: l. 1.-THE drain
age removes stagnant waters from. the
surface. No soil can produce useful
crops when it 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
eatWhieh would otherwise warm the
,soil..# We see, therefore, that if the
water that falls upon the soil remains
until removed by. evaporation, all the
beat which should DO making
the soil warm is being wasted
in evaporating the water. One
experimenter made a number of tests
in two adjoining fields, one Grained the
other unframed The average temper
allure of the soil in the field that had
been drained was 6 IL degrees higher
than III the other. This is another rea-
son why drainage enables the earlier
cultivation of field and lengthens the
season; the ground becomes warm so
much earlier in the Spring and remains
warm later in the fall.
2. 1T removes surplus water from I'M
der the surface"
The best condition of the soil for sue
cesstul 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 removing the
excess Of moisture that falls upon the
the soil, it will be continually sat-
urated, and the crops will be as surely
drowned outas 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 bestand finest of the
soil. Water standing in the soil causes
the vegetable matter to undergo acetic
fermentation, thus rendering the soil
sour and unfit for cultivation. The freez-
ing out of winter grain is oItener than
from any other cause produced by the
formation of ice in the upper part OF the
soll, which throws ont the plant and
leaves it to perish. With good drainage
for freezing, and what is called "heav-
ing" would not occur. 8. "It lengthens
the seasons" Often the yield of crop
depends greatly on the time it can be
put in the ground. A few days differ
ence in sowing may make much in yield.
The work can lie better and more econo-
mically done because there is more time
to do it. If land is drained it can be
more thoroughly pulverized, and be in
better condition tor nourishing the grow.
ing crops. Air in the soil is necessary as
we'll as moisture, but it cannot penetrate
the baked surface.
On drained lands the plants will send
their roots deeper into the soil. When
plant begins to grow in the spring in
an underlined soil the roots will not pen
citrate into the cold lower soil filled with
water, but run along through few inch
es 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 condition de-
scribed as most favorable for pant
growth, moist but with no standing WA
ter between the particles the plant sends
its roots far and deep. When the sun of
summer dries the ground the plant has
far below.
The remainder of Mr.. Klippert's
points condensed most of which we
have touched upon are: It deepens
the soil. 1t warns the soil. It equal
ICES the temperature of the soil during
the season Of growth. It carries down
soluble substances to the roots of plants.
1t prevents heaving and freezing out. 1t
prevents injury from drought. 1t i'm
proves quality and quantity of the crop.
it increases the effect of manures. It
prevents rust in wheat and rot in pota-
toes.