Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-06-02


Good care and shelter are just as in7-
portant as good feeding, for sheep
| well sheltered will shear from one to
two pounds more per fleece than
when exposed to the weather, and the
wool will sell for q higher price in the
market. With fne-wool sheep the
wool can be left on till quite late in
the seasoE-frst, because there is
great danger of losing sheep by cold
storms, if sheared too early in the sea-
son; and second, the wool isnot in the
best condition until the "grease"
rises, which will not be until the
weather is quite warm. We usually
sell as soon as the clip is ready. I
think Merino sheep and their crosses
the most profitable, because they, be-
ing smaller, eat less, and shear much
more than the coarser ones. You
can keep at least five fine woods On
the same feed you keep three coarse
ones.-Live Stock Indicator
Drainage.
Prof. John Scott, of Edinburgh, Scot
Gazette, the primary objects of land
drainage: To carry off stagnant
water; to give ready escape to the
excess of what falls in rain; and to ar
rest the ascent of water from below,
whether by springs or by capillary &C
ton, SO as to render the land sufi-
GENTLY dry for cultivation or grazing
purposes, and at the same time regu-
late the supply of moisture to the
growing plants. We drain to let water
into the soil, as much as to take it
out-not merely to carry off the sur
plus water, but to make the fertilizing
rain filter through the soil. Among
other effects, draining improves the
texture of soil, by making it more
porous, drier, looser, and more friable;
it makes the land more easily worked;
1T raises the temperature Of the soil; it
enables q greater variety OF crops to
be grown; it gives an earlier seed-time
and an earlier harvest; and it makes
manure more effectual. And even this
does not exhaust the practical ad-
vantages of draining wet lands.
On & porous soil which the water
penetrates freely, the action of the
drains will extend to 81 considerable
distance if the depth is made proper
tionate, while on stiff clay soils per-
collation. is greatly hindered, and the
beneficial effect extends to a less dis
tance from the drain. In either case
it is the mere weight of water in the
soil which exercises the effect; q drain
has no ''drawing" power, it merely
provides channel filed with cir,
through which the water by reason Of
it's greater weight finds an outlet,
The main drains should always be
cut along the lowest line Of ascent from
the point of outfall, in the best direc-
tions for receiving the minor drains.
When the surface of a field is level, the
minor drains may be at regular inter
walls apart, at right angles to the
mains, and the necessary inclination
must be gained by cutting deeper to-
ward the outfall. When the surface is
undulating, the minor drains should
run in the direction of the inclination
of the ground. When the surface in
clines there will be generally sufficient
fall for discharge, if the drains are cut
to q uniform depth throughout. The
advantages of the cylindrical clay pipe
are: 1t forms a complete conduit in
itself, it is stronger than any other
form of pipe, it's extreme lightness
makes it easy of transport, and owing
to it's small diameter less quantity
OF earth need be excavated in digging
the drains than would avail with any
other drain material.
The drains should be cut as
narrow as possible, so as to
avoid moving more soil than neces-
sary. Every spadeful of earth exca-
waited beyond that which is actually
needful to get the pipes properly laid,
is labor and money wasted. This &C
curate fitting in of the pipes is. with
skill on the part Of the workman, re1l-
dered quite practicable, on all soils
tolerably free from stones, by the ex-
cellence of the draining spades, scoops,
and plpe-layers that are now obtain
able. The bulk of the water enters
the pipe drain at the joints or crevices
existing between each pair of pipes,
and until the water in the soil rises
above the drain level, it enters the
pipes from below. A very small frac-
percolates through the porous pipe.
The conditions determining size of
pipes for feeders, or minor drains, are:
The length and depth of the drain, the
rate of fall, the distance between the
drains, the porosity of the soil, the
amount of rainfall, water of springs,
ETC., and the loss by evaporation.
The size of the main pipes must, of
course, always be equal to the united
capacity of the minor drains. The
square root Of the number of small
pipes, multiplied by their diameter,
will give the required diameter of the
main pipe.
The depths of drains and their dis
tance apart should be regulated by ref
erence to the thickness and order of
the substrata, no less than by the
character or texture or the supersoil.
If the upper bed is retentive, and of
such depths that the drains cannot be
cut completely through it, the best
system to adopt will shallow drains
at close intervals. and, on the contra
ry, pervious material should have
deeper drains at wider intervals. If
comparatively thin bed OF clay rests
upon porous subtratum the drains
should be cut into the latter, or