St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-04-21
BENEFITS OF DRAINAGE.
an Investment Which Returns Most Usur-
Ia In Ear aRf

an Investment Which Returns Most Usur-
ivas Interest.
Evaporation is a cooling process.
We are told that people in the East
cool their drinking water by exposing
it to the hot sun under wet blanket.
If water, therefore. is brought through
che ground, instead of being allowed
to stay on or near its surface, evapora-
hon to great degree will be stopped,
and the ground will be rendered more
genial to growth. Ground that is not
relieved by drains of its surface water
bakes upon drying. This baking packs
the soil and runs some stiff soils to-
gether in such way that the entrance
of water into such soils is to great
degree forbidden. Baky ground is in
capable of receiving water from the
air or the earth beneath; wet and baky
soils will yield but feebly to the pull
verizing influences of cultivation. The
more finely the soil is pulverized the
more permeable is it to the direct and
indirect nourishing influences of water
and air. Soils saturated with water
will not yield to the decompositions
necessary to the nourishment of plants.
When we consider that most agricult-
ural plants absorblwater chiefly when
presented as capillary water, or
simply as moisture, we can realize
how the growth Of plants is checked
by immersion in water. Water, on it's
way to the undcrdrains, carries air
into the soil, and this warmer air
meeting the cooler earth causes con-
densation of moisture, and thus dew
is formed sin" the ground. This
dew in dry ground is much
more beneficial than were it deposited
above ground. Soil rendered warm
and permeable invites the roots of
plants to greater depth. These
roots are now placed beyond the con-
troll of the weather. Well-drained
ground may be likened to sponge,
both able to keep water and to absorb |
it from the level of the drains when
ever needed in dry season. | have
no doubt every one knows something
of this action, which is beautifully il
Illustrated when water is supplied to |
house plants by placing it in the |
saucers which underlie the pots. Bar
rem, dry hill-sides have been brought |
to high degree of fertility by under
draining, accompanied by manuring.
The flow of water, instead of being
''over" the ground, is thus caused to
60 through" it, and thus the. valuable
FERTILITY is not carried away. The
wanting element-water-h in such
cases been secured by placing the
drains lsterally. The drains empty, if
desired, into an open ditch, which may
be stocked with trout. This state of
shings must not be expected to work
most admirably the first year. as it
takes some time for the ground to be-
come sponge-like. The alternate wet
ting and drying of the soil will open
subterranean channels in which water
may find its way to the drains. This
network of subterranean channels, or
sponge formation, takes time for for
nation.
LII concluding. let me mention few
advantages to be reaped from well
drained land: time. ease in working,
ability to stand the treading of ami
mails, ease Of hauling, freedom from
the effects of drought and heaving,
ability to grow larger and better crops.
Judicious and careful drainage is like
putting money in bank that pays
from twenty-five per cent to one hun
dred per cent John q. PaamlY, in
~ Z Observer.