The Dickinson press., 1894-02-17

Undertaking may be mentioned ~
n of the most beneficial improve
ments on n farm. Low, level and
heavy lands, or land that is cut up with
swamps and marshes, also rolling land
with stleaks or hOllows between the
ridges. should be underdrained. Mon
ey expended in ditching such lands Ut
the work be properly done) will be
speedily repaid with interest.
In ditching, the first thing to look af-
ter is q good outlet, for no matter, how
well the rest of the work be done, II
there is not a good outlet it is all a fail
ure.
When buying tile, n should first
consider how many branches on his
farm will enter into the main ditch,
then buy tile large enough to carry
all the water as fast as It gets to 1t.
When planning for undertaking q
farm arrange the main ditch so as to
take in the lowest hOllows and where
the lay Of the land will take the long
est string Of tile. Try and have the
main ditch about three feet deep In the
shallOwest places; this will give a good
fall to the branches.
The object in undertaking Is to
loosen heavy, sogssy soil and to remove
surface water as soon as possible. To
do this, care should be taken to get the
ditch about the right depth. For
branch drains l think from two to
three feet is the proper depth. In any
ditch the fall should be evenly distribu.
ted throughout its entire lepgth; 1t
should not have more fall than neces-
sary part Of the way, and the rest be
on a level, neither should part OF the
tile be full of water and the rest emp
ty.
In case Of Quicksand in the bottom,
boards should be placed under the tile
to prevent their settling, for II the tile
arc not kept even q large percentage
of their capacity will be lost.
In making turns, never turn square
but always on a circle large enough
that you can use common tile for max
ing the turn; for large tile use a larger
circle than for small. Never have a
branch form a right angle with the
main ditch, but let it curve Or angle
toward the outlet.
In running q ditch to q low sag l
think it does better work to so through
the sag and end In the opposite bank.
Now about the best time to ditch. !
will give my way. l put in the main
ditch whenever l can best spare time
and when 1t digs easiest. After this
is done 1 choose a field of sod nearest
the outlet of the main ditch, from
which l am going to take q succession
Of crops, and drain the field In the fall,
ditching it so that the low and high
ground will be ready to work ut the
same time in the spring. BY doing it
In the fall, the freezing and thawing Of
the winter and spring loosens the soil
and opens the pores through the ground
consequently the ditch is in better
working order and the ground in better
shape for use in the spring than If /
waited until spring before ditching.
or the many advantages obtained by
undertaking / will mention but a
few.
1. What IS more unsightly than what
might be a nice field or farm. that is
all cut up with water holes? Under
draining removes these.
.. While working around n pond of
water one is doing more labor than he
would be il it were so that he could
work through it; besides he is losing
the $ Of what would be the best part
of the field If 1t were u~nderdrained.
Or again, in wet seasons on low lands
bis crops are a total failure where
they would have been good had the
land been thoroughly u%nderdrained.
!. Many times in the spring, or in
wet weather, one has to wait long
enough for water to soak away from
unframed land to have had his crops
all in il the land had been drained.
4. On clayey soils that are under
drained. freezing and thawing will not
heave clover or wheat as it will where
they are not drained. T.. q. Sayre, in
Farm, Field, u Firesidc.
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