The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-03-24
Drainage OF Lands.

Drainage of Lands.
I would like to say few words
about draining land, says a writer in
Farm, Field and Firesidc. Some claim
that shallow drainage is just as good,
II not better, than deep drainage. In
some kinds Of soil, as heavy clay, it
may be just as good, but in the most
of soils deep drainage is great deal
the best. Deep drainage will drain a
larger amount Of ground on each side
of the ditch; for example, where q
ditch is cut two feet deep it will drain
the ground on each side just as far as
the slope from the bottom of the ditch
to the top of the ground, say two rods
on each side, and ditch four feet
will drain three rods on each side, and
a ditch four feet deep will stand a
great deal heavier rain than a ditch
two feet deep us the pores of the
ground are open down to the bottom of
the ditch, and it will take more water
to fill them
In cutting q drain it should be cut in
the lowest ground to drain the fartheSt
on each side
Most farmers ditch out their black
ground and let the clay ground go.
Most clay ground needs ditching as bad
as the black ground, and if it were
drained it would bring as good crops
as the black soil without manuring
every year. I ditched out some clay
ground last year and it brought about
as good corn as my black land.
l would suggest the following in
draining land: Have plenty Of fall in
the ditch and keep the bottom Of ditch
as level AS possible. In black soil ditch
not less than three feet and up to four
and half. In clay land not less than
two feet.
Deep and Shallow Covering in Sow
ing Grass Seed.
Bulletin 10 of the Iowa experiment
station reports an experiment in COW
ering grass and clover seed at different
depths in sandy loan. The spring
was rainy and the ground wet; seeding
could not be done until April 9, when
operations began. Red clover, timothy
Brom1ls inermus and tall meadow oat
grass were sOwn at that date, as fol-
lows: A plat of each one rod square
was covered one-half inch deep by
raking the seed in. A plat Of each was
sOwn in burrows made one inch deep
and covered with the hoe. A plat of
each was sOwn in burrows two inches
deep, and covered in the same manner,
and plat of each was put in burrows
three inches deep. The season remain
ed favorable to growth until July %,
at which date the various plats were
cut, with the following result:
Cover
Covered IL an inch made 81 IL pounds
Covered l inch made II pounds.
Covered inches made pounds
Covered inches made pounds.
Timothy
Covered IL inch made 20 pounds.
Covered inch made % pounds.
Covered inches made 10 pounds.
Covered 3 inches made II pounds.
Tall Meadow Dat Grass
Covered 10 an inch made II pounds,
Covered 1 inch made % pounds.
Covered inches made 81 pounds.
Covered inches made 15 pounds.
Bromus Inermus-
Covered IL inch made II pounds.
Covered inch made AZ pounds.
Covered 2 inches made 30 pounds.
Covered 3 inches made pounds.
The months OF September, October
and November. were very dry, the only
severe drought of the season occurring
during these months, and at the end of
November the clover covered three
inches deep was the most vigorous,
while the timothy, tall meadow oat
grass and Bromus inermus covered two
inches deep were in the best condition.
The conclusion is that clover and
grass seeds covered two inches deep
will resist fall drought better, although
lighter covering might present a better
appearance earlier in the season.