Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-03-11
ABOUT DRAINAGE.
How Tile Drains Act The Danger OF
Checking Water la Its Descent.


Although there has been much die
custom upon the subject, there are
few thoughts which have not been
clearly conveyed to the mind Of the
farmer, II, indeed, they have been men,
toned at all. Drainage, so-callcd, is
ut present confined to carrying .hC
water OH from very W.T. portions OF
land, and these places, us n rule. are
sloughs or marsh lands; but there Is
another way in which drains act, and
that is in allowing water TO enter the
soil. This is quite rs important, as
We hope TO be- able TO show. Soil Is
composed Of number Of different
sized PARTICLES. 80 irregular in shape rs
to leave between them spaces, which.
joining together, form u series Of pas
sagcs communicating with the cStcr-
nal air. and leading downward from
The surface. In addition TO these
main passages, the particles them
selves are perforated with little OPEN
ings. called pores, which pcrmcatc the
substance of each particle. but which
have their communications with the
pores of'ncighboring particles, inter
ruptcd by the intervening ducts. Now.
among other ncccssarics to the GER
mina,ion and growth of all cultivated
crops is the presence in the soil of
moisture and oxygen. This last clc-
ment, being contained in atmospheric
air. is most readily supplied from that
source.
When soil is saturated (wcD both
pores and duets are filled with water;
air, therefore, can not gain admission
TO air. and oxygen is accordingly not
forthcoming. Under these circnm.
stances vegetation is unable to pro-
coed, and IL this condition be prolonged,
plant life expires.
In like manner, when both pores and
duets are free from water, rs Is the
normal state of sand. moisture Is want.
ing, and plants die from drought. On
the other hand, when the pores are
filled with water, air must necessarily
pcrvadc the duets, hence moisture and
oxygen are bouhtifully supplied. and
favorable conditions for vegetable life,
so far rs these clements are concerned,
are brought about.
When we said ut starting that II was
a. important to get the water into land
as to get 1t out, we meant that In order
to have healthy plant growth frcgeSrf
culation Of water throughout The soil is
necessary; for whcrs water can enter
and circulate, air, and consequently
oxygen, will follow. This being the
case. it pays to drain not only sloug'
but comparatively dry land. -
In addition to air and moisture veg
citation requires a certain degree OF
warmth. The excessive evaporation
which takes place Mt the surface when
the ducts stand full of water tends to use
up the heat and lower the temperature;
thus fertility may be impaired by too
much moisture. We drain soil to pro-
mote the healthy growth Of crops,
which is inconsistent with the presence
of stagnant water in the duets. II Is.
therefore, evident that drainage should
provide, not only for the removal OF
water from the surface, but for the cs-
cape Of all supcriluous moisture from
the whole depths Z soil to which the
roots of the plants extend.
In order to affect this thoroughly oil
water not held in suspension by the
pores must be allowed to percolate
freely, not only to the bottom OF tho
surface soil, but to such depth as will
remove all danger of capillary attrae-
ton. II must, moreover. be drawn OIL
rapidly and equally throughout the en-
tire area. There must be no possibil'
ity Of water being checked In Its descent
between the soil or subsoil, or Of its
ever accommodating in the subsoil at
such adPth as to cause injury to the
p,antproducing soil above, either by its
actual presence or by its chilly exhala'
tons. Not until these conditions are
fulfilled can any land be pronounced
IN be thoroughly rsufiicienty drained.
Ear,,pr's Re,,;s,, 80