The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-04-01
THE FARM AND HOME,
AN IMPORTANT POINT ~
DRAINING THE LAND.
IN What Direction to Garry or the Water
"A Good Hot-Bed-Land Plas.
ter-Polnts on Pork and
Home Hints.
Levelins for Farm Drainage.

| many people VINO Wish to dralr
their land are not aware of the fac
that the very element they wish te
get rid Of may. in many instances.
hrst be utilized to advantage in making
a calculation as to which is the bes1
direction to carry it On very level
land it is sometimes quite difficult to
ascertain which direction it will run:
In other instances the course NAV be
known. but it is hard to tell whether
proper outlet can be obtained es-
peclally In the case of underdrains.
These points can be ascertained by
the use OF spirit level. though not
SO accurately as with surveyors lew
cling instrument; but if neither of
these is at hand. the water itself NAV
be used as substitute
A pool or pond of water a few rods
across may be converted into a level
equal in accuracy to the best sur
veyor's instrument ever made; some
care and Judgment however. must be
used as with a surveyors instrument
in order to get the best results. On
many farms such a pool may be found
after any heavy rain, especially when
the ground is frozen so that the water
cannot soak in; while in some instances
1T may be necessary to form pool by
throwing a temporary dam across
some ditch or watercourse.
10 construct the level, writes Lewis
A. Greeley in the Practical Farmer.
get two stakes and saw off one end of
each perfectly square, and sharpen
the other end. Next make mark
exactly four feet from the square or
top end of each stake. Now drive
them on opposite sides of the pool and
in the edge of the water until the four
foot mark just touches the surface.
The level is now complete. As the
surface of the water is level the tops
OF the stakes must also be level and
when sighting across them at any OBJ
]ect either near or distant that comes
exactly in range with their tops Won
may conclude that that object is ex-
actly four feet higher than the sur
lace OF the water in the pool. For in
stance third stake is placed at some
distant point and in line with the
lrst two; it is then driven until its ton
IS exactly level with the tops of the
sight stakes; upon measurement the
'op OF this last stake is found to be
'hree feet above the surface of the
ground, and we arrive at the conclu.
lion that stake No. is exactly one
DOT higher than the surface of the
water in the pool.
we Will now go to the opposite
take at the upper side of the pool
IND sight down stream. toward tai
er stake that has been previously
'laced in line with the sight stakes:
n assistant standing at this stake.
olds a strip of lath horizontally
galnst it and moves the lath up or
own as we direct, and marks on the
take the place that is exactly level
18th the tops of the sight stakes: bv
Measuring we find this mark is six
get above the surface OF the ground
here it is driven; therefore. the
round at this stake is two feet lower
IAN the surface OF the water in the
DOL. I
Again let US suppose that we wish
lind the amount of fall in water
purse that runs past but not through
le pool we are using as level Bv .
owing sight stakes on different sides
the pool, we may set stakes in any 6
lrection from it. and by setting one !
axe In the upper end of this side or i
'anch .watercourse and another at c
le lower end. having the tops of 9
lch exactly level with the tops of the
ght stakes, we may ascertain the =
Mount of fall by finding the differ
ice in the height of the two Sec r
ldary stakes. =
Nor is this all; let US suppose that n
wish to set a stake, which, on ac- p
unit of intervening hills, we cannot s.
e from the pool to level up the two "
her sight stakes that are in line with "
I'd In sight OF the stake in question. g
owever it is questionable whether 2,
accurate results can be obtained by =,
g use OF the secondary stakes, unless
ey are quite remote from each other.
I'd let me remark here. that the
rther apart the stakes in the pool
n be set the more accurate will be
result l have leveled when they =,
re set in an old ditch, twenty-five "
ds apart; but where they are SO far -
act would recommend that strips
board painted different colors, E,
Guild be nailed horizontally across
e tops in order to make them more !,
ainly visible. Although l have
commended four feet as convenient n.
light for the sight stakes. vet any =
light may be used; in case of inter- ca
ming hills brush. etc. 1 have used
.kes so high that it became neces- til
y to erect scaffold upon which to
nd while taking sight. a,
A Good Hot Bel. he
A hot-bed sash is made six feet long
three feet wide. the side rails. m