The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-06-21
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Under-Drainage in the South.

Millions of acres of hill LANDS in the
cotton States have been rendered
vaiueless by surface washing. and
millions of acres of bottom lands are
Improbable in cons nquence of being
covered with gully dirt" or satu-
rated with stagnant water The
former might have retained their fer
tility under u judicious system of rota-
ton OF crops. accompanied by ra-
tional method of cultivation and prop
er attention TO horizontalizing. They
may still be reclaimed and made pro-
ductive by terracing and green ma
nuring. The latter could have been
protected. and may be now renovated
by drainage Indeed, there are very
few soils that are not bene flied by
under-drainage. There are millions
OF acres of land in the cotton States
needing understandings. which need
is not even suspected by their owners.
Any soil underlaid by a tenacious
subsoil, and which remains wet at the
surface for thirty-slx hours after heavy
rains, would not only be benefited by
Understandings. but needs it to secure
maximum productivenesS. Soils which
remain wet long after spring rains,
usually suffer most during the droughts
Of summer.
Nearly all writers upon the subject
OF drainage confine themselves to tile,
which is too expensive to be used up
on lands of low value and at their
best of small productiveness. Many
owners of lands which need drain age
have been deferred from attemptin O it
on account OF the expense and their TO-
norance of the principles and practice
of drainage. Because they do not feel
able to employ an engineer to lay off the
bitches or to purchase tile, they aban-
don the idea of retaining their lands,
and often waste enough money in the
purchase of costly fertilizers for
lands too wet to benefited by them to
pay the expense of drainage, which
would obviate the necessity for the
use of fertilizers. There are other
methods of drainage and other mate
rial than tile, which. while less per-
manent. are cheap and effective.
Among these are rock. plank and
poles. The rock culvert drain is very
little inferior 10 tile in bitches which
have stiff clay bottoms. Drains of this
character made thirty years ago are
doing as good work now as then, and
we see no reason why they should not
prove absolutely permanent. Two
years ago we built one hundred
and thirty yards long at a total
cost of $13.15 when completed.
The land through which it passed
was so wet in june of the previous
year that the crop planted upon it
had TO be abandoned because mule
could not walk upon the land without
begging. The plow was used in
loosing the first two feet of depth,
shovels following and throwing out
the loosened earth. The plow did
also the entire work of filling, except
few feet at the lower end, filled for
the mule to cross upon. The rocks
were gathered from the surface upon
the adjacent hills. This land, which
had been too wet to be planted in
cotton. produced bale per acre the
first season after it was drained. A
layer OF he stone is placed on each
SIDE OF the bottom of the ditch and
others laid across them, thus forming
culvert in the center Other smaller
stones are then laid over these, and
all covered with straw of some kind
to prevent the s oil from sitting through
the stone into the culvert. This
is pressed down firmly upon the
stone. and good turn plow will fill
the ditch and complete the job. By
this method Of drainage. stone that is
nuisance upon the surface of the
fields is made very useful and profita-
BILE. In those sections in which stone
can not be gotten. poles may be sub
stituted. These will last fifteen or
twenty years. the time being greater
or less according TO whether the poles
are continuously wet or are alterna ate
ly wet and dry. Three poles are used
as follows: One is laid on each side of
the bottom of the ditch, so that there
will be a space of two or three inches
between them; third pole is laid
above and between them to ..break the
jDint. The ends of no two poles
should be together; this to avoid ugly
joints and TO guard against their de-
preston of resulting obstruction of
the drain. Poles of about six inches
In diameter answer best If poles can
not be gotten. split timber used in the
same way will answer The V
drain, or inverted trough. if made of
very durable material. answers good
purpose. but is more expensive and
less durable than the poles. No mat.
ter which is used. liberal quantity
of straw should be spread over the
material and we'll packed over the
poles or plank before filling in with
earth. The object of this is to pre-
want tho 1ooca o,rtI, f,o,~<