Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-03-08
THE AGRICULTURAL WORLD
THE BENEFITS DERIVED FROM UN-
DERDRAINING.
Money Expended In Underdraisisg
VIII be Returned with Interest-
sterilisinE Milk-A Stall Partition
A Good Meat Smoker.


one of the most beneficial improve
ments on a farm. Low, level and
heavy lands, or land that is cut up with
swamps and marshes, also rolling Land
with streaks or hoIlows between the
ridges, should be underdrained. Mon.
ey expended In diiching such lands III
the work be properly done) will be
speedily repaid with interest
In ditchins. the first thing to look af-
ter is a good outlet, for no matter, how
well the rest OF the work be done, If
there Is not 4 good outlet 1t Is all fall
ure.
When buying tile, one should first
consider how many branches on his
farm will enter into the main ditch.
then buy tile large enough 10 carry
all the water as fast as it gets to IL.
When planning for undertaking a
farm arrange the main ditch 50 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. soggy 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 / think from two to
three feet is the proper depth. In any
ditch the fall should be evenly distrtbu-
ted throughout Its entire length: 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 guicksand in the bottom.
boards should he placed under the Tile
to prevent their settling, for il the tile
are not kept even a 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 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 a ditch TO low sag l
think 1t does better work to go through
the sag and end in the opposite bank.
Now about the best time TO ditch. 1
will give my way. l put in the main
ditch whenever / can best spare time
and when it digs easiest. After this
Is done / choose field OF sod nearest
the outlet OF the main ditch, from
which / am going to take succession
of crops, and drain the field in the fall
ditching 1t 20 that the low and high
ground will be ready to work at the
same time In the spring. BY doing 1t
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 bettcer
working order and the ground in better
shape for use In the spring than IL
waited until spring before ditching.
or the many advantages obtained by
undertaking will mention but n
Few.
I. What Is more unslghtly than what
might be nice field or farm, that Is
nll cut up with water holes? Under
draining removes these.
.. While working around n pond OF
water one Is doing more labor than he
would he II II were so that he could
work through 1t; besides he Is losing
the Use of what would be the best part
of the field II 1t were undertlrained
Or again, in wet seasons on low lands
his crops are total failure where
they would have been good had the
land been thoroughly underdrained.
5. Many times in the spring. or In
wet weather, one has to wait long
enough for water to soak away from
undrained land to have had his crops
all In If the land had been drained.
4. On clayey soils that are under
drained, freezing and thawing will moi
heave clover or wheat as it will where
they are not drained. T.. G. Sayre, in
Farm, Field, 4 FIresidc.