The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-07-10
AID N0H AERIAL IRRIGATION.
Unexpected Results Followed the Draining Of
Low lands Ia Michigan.
The TIles Proved. IS Good an IFFigatOr as
They We're 9 EEesns Of Carrying
Away supeFhoui Water.


piled with artificial drainage than any
other tract of similar extent in the
United States. In topography this
region is mostly prairie land, often
with no discernable slope, and in its
original condition was largely covered
with timber. The surface water from
rain and snow flowed off with difficulty,
and much of it remained on the ground
until dried up by the sun. The soil is
of a clsyey character, but slightly per-
meable to water, and there are COM
paratively few permanent springs.
Around the sources of many of the
larger streams there were formerly ex-
tensiye marshes, covering thousands Of
acres, which in their natural state
seemed to forbid the possibility of re-
clamation for industrial uses.
In the course of the settlement Of
the country the necessity of doing
something to ameliorate this untOward
condition led to the introduction of an
extensive system of drainage. The
rich clays of the state furnished a
cheap and convenient tile material
which became the basis of the system.
The tiles were connected with large
open bitches, and in some cases, as in
the great Scioto swamp, with extensive
canals constructed at the expense Of
the state. OF this entire section of
country, it is probable that tile drain
age and open ditching Oyerspread 40
per cent.
1t is not intended here to describe
the methods or results of this drainage
so far as its original purpose is con-
cerned. Suffice it to say that it has
reclaimed many thousands of acres of
marshes entirely outside the pale Of
agricultural use, and has vastly i'm
proved the condition of extensive semi
swampy tracts. The purpose of this
brief notice is simply to call attention
to q secondary though very important
result of tile drainage, little enough
fOrseen by the projectors of the system
since it is of a character quite the re-
verse of any consideration of drainage.
This feature may be described as aerial
irrigation, by which it results that the
severity of midsummer drOughts in
the tile drained areas is largely miti-
gated.
To quote from a recent government
report, experience in tile drainage
early showed that the tiles produced
other beneficial effects than those re-
sulting from the drainage of the land.
1t was found that tiled resisted drought
better than untitled, and it was con-
stsntly noted that along the lines of
the tiles there was a freshness of
growth that indicated the presence of
more moisture than the adjacent
ground enjoyed. Tile drainage gradu-
ally found its way into areas where no
real necessity for drainage existed,
and always with advantage to the crops,
until now the function of the thesis
by no means exclusively to drain the
land, but to secure this beneficial in
fuence, the nature of which is not yet
fully understood.
There are several minor contributing
causes which produce this result, but
the real explanation is to be found in
the circulation Of the air through the
tile and the aeration of the soil in its
vicinity. Given a tile drain Of known
length, size, and gradient, and estab-
lished data in regard to the specific
gravity of air, the deposition Of moist
ure with fall of temperature, and the
difference between surface and sub
surface temperatures, it becomes a
simple matter to determine the amount
of moisture which would be deposited
in such tile under assumed Condi-
tions Of temperature and humidity. At
times it is undoubtedly large and in
stances are recorded where an exami-
nation Of the tiles on hot days has
found them dripping with water.
The system Of tile drainage which is
now being so extensively adopted is
thus seen to subseFVs two distinct,
contrary, and important purposes
that Of removing promptly the surplus
water Of spring and that of irFigsting
the soil during the season Of drought.
It is not improbable that this method
of subirrigstiOn by means Of cireulst-
ing currents Of air may furnish q sat
isfsetOry solution Of the problem in
VOWED in recent experiments for the
artificial production Of rain.
It may be stated that this secondary
function Of tile drains IS now so fully
recognized that tracts have been re-
Gently underlain with tiles for iEriga-
ton purposes alone, and that the
results Of these special experiments
have fully justified expectations.-H.
n. Chitten6ep. G. f Il 6. A. in Sciep-