The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-10-01

OF fond or gr1yol the water will pass of
below hy natural drainage; but II the
sub-7o.l is clay or other impervious
substance the water is checked in It's
downWard course and romans stag
nam or bursts out upon the surface
In the form Of springs. Most OF the
prairie lands are OF the latter charac-
ter, ana wherever such sub-soil exists
the land viii not only be improved by
tile drainage. but Il may be said tnat
such drainage IL absolutely essential
TO us proper development and culture.
10 question the necessity OF the process
10 little less absurd than Il would be
to ask whether II would be improved
by ploWIng. Instead OF making hills for
corn IN the prairie grass with a hoe
or spade, All lands require drainage
which, at any season. contain too much
water-that Ia. which hold at any time
OF the year more moisture than Is good
for the crops, and causes them TO SUI
fer. either by freezing out In winter
or having their roots IN water during
the growing season. Drainage has
been appropriately defined as the art
Of rendering land not only 80 free from
moisture that no supernuous water
shall remain In II. but that no water
shall remain long enough TO inJuro or
retard the healthy growth OF such
plants as are required for the susie
nance Of man or beast" There are
some plants. as rice and cranberrios,
which require a wet soil. but most OF
those which are useful TO man. are
drowned by being overlooked for a
short time. and are injured by any
stagnant water about their roots. The
soil OF the pralries. In most cases. Is
undertake with clay. which not I'M
frequently contdins a mixture OF me-
tallic oxides, which cause Il TO form
a substraium almost OF tne nature OF
rock. and known Commonly among
farmers as "hard pan" II IL n com
mon impression that clay In imperylous
TO water. and that. therefore, a clay
soli-and particularly II II has assumed
the solid form OF hard pan" under the
surface-oan not be drained with tile.
and especially II the tile Is laid lower
than the hard pan" But that such
land Is not absolutely imperylous Ia
proved by the fact that II N very wet
In tho spring at almost any depth,
while In the latter part OF the summer
II becomes dry and hard. How comes
Il to be soaked at any time. II water
does not 20 into Il? And how comes Il
dry, n water does not come out OF III
The facts that clay will readily absorb
a great deal OF water, and that II may
be subsequently dried, prove conclu-
slyely that II is not impervioua 10
water, but they do not prove that water
will pass through II with sufficient
rapldlty to answer the practical pur-
poses OF drainage. II IL nevertheless
a fact that owners OF clay farms al.
most invariably overestimate the dlf.
nculty In draining their land. They
know that puddlod clay Is used for the
bottom OF ponds. canals, etc. and Is
nearly or quite impervious, But such
I IL not It's natural condition. and Il IL
only reached by working aud beating
II while wet. or. d In the case OF the
hard pan subsoll. by continued pres
sure from above. Nor can clay be
kept In this condition except by being
constantly wet. II once dried. or sub
jected TO the action OF frost. II resumes
It's natural porous eonditlon.-Anon.