Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-05-21
THE FARM AND HOME.
AN IMPORTANT POINT IN
DRAINING TIE LAND.
In What Direction 10 Garry on the Water
"A Good Hot-Bsd-Land rias.
tey-PoInts on Pork aud
Home Hats.
LsyelIng Zoe Farm pralnare.

Lsyeling for Farm Drainage.
Many people who wish to drain
their land are not aware Of the fact
that the very element they wish 10
get rid of may. in many instances
first be utilized to advantage in making
a calculation as TO which is the best
direction to carry 1t. On very level
land II Is sometimes quite difficult 70
ascertain which direction it will run;
in other instances the course may be
known. but it Is hard 10 tell whether
proper outlet can DO obtained es-
pecially In the case OF underdraius.
These points can DO ascertalned by
the use OF spirit level though not
so accurately as with a surveyors lew
cling instrument; but II neither OF
these Is at hand the water itself may
be used as a substitute.
A pool or pond OF water few rods
across may be converted Into a level
equal in accuracy to the best sur.
yeyOr's instrument ever made; some
care and Judgment however. must be-
used rs with a surveyors instrument
in order to get the best results. On
many farms such pool may be found
after any heavy rain. especially wheu
the ground Is frozen so that the water
cannot soak IN; while In some instances
il may be necessary 70 form a pool by
throwing temporary dam across
some ditch or watercourse,
To construct the level writes Lewis
A. Greeley in tho Practical Farmer,
/ get two stakes and saw on one end OF
each perfectly square and sharpen
the other end. Next make a mark
/ exactly four feet from the square or
+ top end OF each stake. Now drive
I them on opposite sides OF the pool and
In the edge Of the water until the four
I foot mark just touches tho surface
! The level Is now complete. As the
surface OF the water is level the tops
Of the stakes must also be level. ANA
I when sighting across Thorn at any OBJ
I lect either near or distant that comes
/ exactly In range with their tops YOU
may conclude that that object q ex-
actly four feet higher than the sur
face Of the water in the pool For Ia.
stance. third stake Is placed az some
| distant point and In line with the
\ first two; II Is then driven until ia top
Is exactly level with the tops OF the
sight stakes; upon measurement the
top Of this last stake il found 20 be
/ three feet above the surface 81 tho
ground and we arrive AZ the conclu.
sion that stake No Is exactly ono
foot higher than the surface Of the
water In the pool
We will now 60 TO tho opposite
stake at the upper side OF the rool
and sight down stream toward q mi.
Ter stake that has been previously
| placed in line with the sight stakes;
an assistant standing at this stake.
holds strip OF lath horizontally
against II and moves the hath no or
down as we direct, ard marks on tho
stake tho place that Is exactly level
with the tops OF the sight stakes by
measuring we find this mark Is Ak
feet above the surface OF the ground
whore IL is driven; therefore the
ground at this stake Is two feet lover
than the surface o. the water ia the
pool.
Again let US suppose that we wish
TO find tho amount Of fall In a water.
course that runs past but not through
the pool we are using as a level Bv
moving sight stakes on different sides
OF the pool. we may set stakes In any
direction from it and by setting one
stake In the upper end OF this side or
branch watercourse and another az
the lower end. having the tops OF
each exactly level with the tops Of the
sight stakes. we may ascertain the
amount Of fall by finding the differ.
ence in the height Of the two sec.
ondary stakes.
Nor Is this all; let us suppose TINT
we wish TO set stake, which on nc.
count OF intervening hills. We cannot
see from the pool 10 level up the two
other sight stakes that are in line with
and in sight Of the stake in question.
However IL is questionable whether
as accurate results can be obtained BY
the use OF the secondary stakes unless
they are quite remote from each other.
And let me remark here. that the
further apart the stakes in the pool
can be set the more accurate will be
the result / have leyeled when thew
were set In an old ditch. twenty-fya
rods apart; but where they are so far
apart would recommend that strips
Of board painted different colors.
should be nailed horizontally across
the tops In order TO make them more
plainly visible. Although / have
recommended four feet as convenient
height for the sight stakes yet any
height may be used; in case OF inter.
yening hills brush. etc. have used
stakes so high that IL became neces-
sary to erect scaffold upon which to
stand while taking sight
Good Hot Hell.