Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-08
ABOUT DRAINAGE.
A Claim That II Increases Tho Yield -
Grain twenty-five Per Cent.

Grain twenty-five Per Cent.
The subject of tile draining is begin
ming to occupy the thought of the in
teliigeat progressive dairymen of the
west. There is widespread call for
more knowledge. and those farmers who
have:had experience for years should
read and speak more on this subject.
Hundreds of farmers have a clear idea
that it would be profitable invest
ment to commence tiic-draining their
land, but they know next to nothing
about the principles of the business and
such knowledge seems hard TO get hold
of. One of the best statements we have
seen on the subject is in communica-
ton bv j. w. MaXtield, to the Dra.n
and Farm, Journal. The following is
summary of his experience:
He first commenced on his wettest
land, thinking the upland did not need
it, but found that corn on the low tile
drained land came forward faster than
on the undrained upland. He noticed
also that young corn appeared in nice
rows twenty-four hours on tiled land
before it could be seen in the remain
der of the row, where it was not tiled.
1t gained one days growth the first
week; the second week it seemed to
have gained two days more, making it
.nree days ahead at the end of two
weeks. and l think it gained in that
proportion until it was ripe. One sea-
son in particular it made seventy
bushels per acre. while the rest of the
field made less than ten. and where the
land was not tiled he had to pull
through weeds higher than his head to
get what little stuff there was. Such 4
contrast was enough to give any one
the tie fever Cor craze as some call i)
u he had any "git up" at all about
him.
The wheat on this land grew six or
eight inches higher than the rest, max
ing the land appear as if it was higher
than any thing else, though the tile
drains are laid through the lowest land.
OF an open wet winter or spring the
yield of wheat will double that on I'M
tiled land. Tile will not prevent the
insects from coming, but crops on tiled
land will furnish food for insects and
some over, more than on untitled land,
therefore it is an advantage in that way.
The deeper they are laid the greater
the width they will drain, as rule. On
ordinary soil the rule is that the drain
age will extend one rod for every foot
in depth the drain is laid
In making drain never tumble the
clods in onto your tile. Always cover
the tile with mellow or soft dirt six or
81
pillow in earth. fsuitable dirt is not to
be had get straw and cover them
sufficiently with it. He thinks it y
good idea to cover all the tile
laid in scald land, or any other
very close subsoil, with straw. He
thinks four feet the better depth
to Law drains. Then have the main
four and one-half feet deep. If they
are not more than that it would be iu-
possible to run the laterals four feet
deep on level land. Ireland laid ten
thousand miles of shallow drains before
they learned that deeper drains We're
the best. and we should not make such
large expensive mistakes in this day
and age of the world. The deeper YOU
drain the greater the depth of your
deep one foot more OF available soil,
than where YOU drain only three feet
deep The deeper the drains are the
longer they will run. Some think the
shallOwer the tiles the sooner they Will
commence running. They think
wrong, for the water will pass straight
on down below the tile until the ground
fills up to the tile. so if the tiles are
deeper the sooner the water rises to
them.
On tiled land he got forty-eight
bushels of oats per acre, while land
equally good yields only twenty-five to
thirty. He finds that thing has given
him on his land an average increase in
the yield of corn of twenty-five per
cent. the past season. Heavy rains did
not throw it back any.
.