Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-19

DRAINAGE AND DROUGHT.
That the placing of drain-tile several
feet below the surface ofland naturally
low and generally moist is of great
value in carrying Off the water will be
readily admitted. 1t is reasonable to
presume that such land will be greatly
benefited by providing an outlet for the
water that would otherwise be retained
by the soil till it could be carried off by
the slow process of evaporation. Low
lands are generally much richer than
those that are elevated, as they receive
by the constant flow of water through
and over the soil vegetable and mineral
substances that produce fertility. They
are the last portions of q farm that are
ordinarily cultivated. as the cost of
draining them is greater than the new
settler can meet. Not only in the New
England and middle states, but in most
of the western states and territories. the
high lands are first cultivated. There
are more days in the year that the plow
can be used on high land than on low,
and the farmer who is improving new
place desires to have rs many acres in
crop as he can manage.
That underdrains are of great advan-
tage to moderately high land in wet
season is obvious. The tile carry off
most of the water Immediately after a
heavy rain and leave the soil in con-
dition to be worked by the pillow. Land
that is tile-drained can be plowed ear
lier in the spring than that which is not
provided with artificial passages for the
water, and the success of small grains
Inv Any,nnA lVv 10
drainage is also highly beneficial to
crops that are to be cultivated during a
rainy season. Corn is more likely to
suffer from an excess than from def
cheney of moisture in the soil. The
hoe, pillow, and cultivator can not be
used to advantage when the soil con-
tains much water. Tile drains carry
off the water from cultivated field and
allow implements to be used among
growing crops. They insure the growth
of vegetation that would otherwise suf-
fer from excess of moisture. They are
of especial advantage to corn, where
rapid growth is promoted by soil that
is fairly dry and quite warm. Under
drains, during a wet season, not only
keep the soil sufficiently dry to allow
corn to make a rapid growth, but they
have the effect Of raising its tempera-
ture
That underdrains are highly beach,
cial during seasons of protracted
drought many persons who have never
had an opportunity to watch their ope-
rations are inclined TO doubt. Still all
who have seen corn on drained fields
and have compared its condition with
that planted on land that was not pro-
vided with tile are prepared to give
evidence IN favor of drainage for pre-
venting the injuries that are produced
by Il protracted drought The prospect
is that the largest crops of corn, wheat
rye. and oats in the west this season
will be harvested from land that is I'M
derdrained. They are not suffering
from drought like crops that were
planted on undrained land. The auc-
tioneer who declared that the clothes he
offered for sale would keep the wearer
warm in winter and cool in summer
obviously claimed too much for them.
But it is no exaggeration TO say that
underdrains serve to keep the soil dry
in n wet season and to Keep it moist
during the prevalence of a very severe
drought. Seeing is believing" in this
as in other matters. A visit to any por-
ton of the west Mt the present time will
convince one that underdrains supply
moisture to plants during very dry
weather
During very warm weather the air
contains a vast amount of invisible
vapor. This vapor of water may be
condensed by causing it to come in con-
tact with some cold substance, us the
outer surface of a pitcher filled with ice.
Underdrains cause currents of air to
circulate through them and to pass up
ward through them into the soil As
the soil is much cooler than the air that
passes between the particles much of
the invisible vapor il contains is con-
densed in the form of dew. and is made
available for plant growth. This con-
densed vapor is deposited deep in the
soil, where it will not be evaporated as
it would be if it was on the surface of
the ground. 1t is within easy reach of
the roots of the plants that are in need
OF moisture. The plants are watered
from below and not from above. They
are constantly receiving the benefit of
an underground watering. Most per-
sons have noticed that the walls of eel
lars through which there is Il free circu-
lation of air are moist during very dry
seasons. The vapor is condensed on
them because they are comparatively
cold. The same thing takes place when
air passes through drains and the soil
that is above them.