The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-07-28
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
under-Drainage in the South.

cpilon StateS have been rendered
valuelcss Ivy surface washing. and
millions Of acres of bottom lands are
unpr' fitable in consequence of being
covered with gully dirt" or satu.
rated with stagnant water The
former might have retained their fer.
tility under judicious system of rota.
ton OF crops. accompanied by ara
uonal method of cultivation and prom
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
lew soils that are not bene flied by
Understandings. 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 tenacious
subsoil. and which remains wet at the
surface for thirty-six hours after heavy
rains would not only be benefited bv
Understandings. but needs it to secure
maximum productivcness. Soils which
remain wet long after spring rains.
usually suffer most during the droughts
of summer.
Nearly all writers upon the subject
OF drainage confinc themselves to tile,
which is too expensive to be used up
on lands of low value and mt their
best of small productiveness. Many
owners of lands which need drainage
have been deferred from attemptin o it
on account of the expense and their ig-
norance of the principles and practice
Of drainage Because they do not feel
able TO employ an engineer 10 lay off the
ditchts or to purchase tile. they ADAM
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 obviatc the necessity for the
use u fertilizers There are other
methods of drainage and other mate
rial than tile, which. while less per-
manent. are cheap and effec i've.
Among these are rock. plank and
poles The rock culvert drain is very
little inferior TO tile in bitches which
have stiff clay bottoms. Drains of this
character male thirty years ago are
doing as good work now rs then, and
We see no reason why they should not
prove absolutely permanent. Two
years ago we built one a hundred
and thirty yards long at total
cost of $l315 when completed.
The land through which it passed
was so wet i'm June of the previous
year that the crop planted upon it
had TO Dc abandoned because mule
could not walk upon the land without
begging. The plow was used in
loosing the first two feet of dep. h,
shovels following and throwing out
the looscned earth. The pillow did
also the cu,ire work of filling. except
n few feet at the lower end, filed for
the mule 20 cross upon. Tho rocks
were gather from the surface upon
the AL jaceit hills. This land. which
had been TOO wet TO be planted in
cotton. produced a bale per acre the
first season after it was tlrancl. A
layer of n, stono is placed on each
side If the bottom of the ditch and
others laid across them. thus forming
n culvert iE the center. o .her smaller
stones are then laid over these. and
all covered with straw of some kind
TO prevent the soil from sitting through
the stone into the culvcrt This
is pressed down firmly upon the
stone. and y good turn plow will fill
the ditch sad complete the Job. By
this method of drainage. stone that is
u nuisance upon the surfac, of the
fields is made very useful and profita.
bic. IL those sections in which stone
can not be gotten. poles may be sub
siituted. These will last fifteen OF
twenty years. the time being greater
or less according TO whether the poles
are continuously wet or are alternate.
ly wet and tlry. Three poles are used
rs follows: One is laid on each side oil
the bottom Of the ditch. so that there
will be a space of two or three inches
between them; a third pole is laid
above and bctwccn them to "break the
j'int." The ends of no two poles
shoald b. together; this to avoid ugly
joints and 10 guard against their de
preston of resulting obstruction o.
the drain. Piles of about six inchc.
in diameter answer best II poles car
not be gotten. split timber used in the
same way will answer. The '
drain, or inverted trough. if made O
" ry durable material. answers goot
purpose. but is more expensiv: ant