The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-09-21

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below by natural drainage; but if the
sub-sofl is clay or other impervious
cubetance. the water is checked III its
downward course and remains stag
nant or bursts out upon the surface
in the form of springs. Most OF the
nrairie lands are of the latter charac-
Tor and wherever such sub-sOil exists
the land will not only be improved by
tile drainage, but it may be said that
Curh drainage is absolutely essential
TO its proper development and culture.
To question the necessity of the process
is little less absurd than it would be
10 ask whether it would be improved
by blowing, 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 is, which hold at any time
of the year more moisture than is good
for the crops, and causes them to suf-
for either by freezing out IN winter,
,r having their roots in water during
the growing season. Drainage has
been appropriately defined as " the art
Of rendering land not only SO free from
moisture that no superhuous water
hall remain in it, but that no water
rhall remain long enough to injure or
retard the healthy growth Of such
plants as are required for the susie
nance of man or beast" There are
come plants, as rice and cranberries,
which require wet soil, but most OF
those which are useful to man, are
drowned by being overlooked for
Fhort time, and are injured by any
Stagnant water about their roots. The
coil of The prairies, in most cases, is
Lnderlaid with clay, which not I'M
frequently contains a mixture OF me-
lille oxides, which cause 1t to form
| substratum almost of the nature OF
lock. and known commonly among
hrmers as ''hard pam" It is COM
mon impression that clay is imperv1ous
to water, and that, therefore, clay
ROLAND particularly if it has assumed
The solid form of hard pan" under the
Iurface-can not be drained with tile,
ind especially if the tile IS lald lower
than the hard PAN" But that sucn
land is not absolutely imperVlous Is
proved by the fact that it is very wet
In the spring at almost any depIn'
while in the latter part of the summer
It becomes dry and hard. How comes
It to be soaked at any time, II water
does not go into it? And how COMES II
dry, if water does not come OUT u II
The facts that clay will readily absorb
a great deal of water, and that IL may
be subsequently, dried, prove concur
siyelv that it is not impervlous 10
water. but they do not prove that water
will pass through it with sufhcleht
rapidity to answer the practical pur-
poses of drainage. 1t is nevertheless
fact that owners Of clay farms al
most Invariably overestimate the dit
fculty in draining their land. Iney
know that puddled clay is used for the
bottom of ponds, canals, etc., ana is
nearly or quite impervious. But such
is not its natural condition, and 1t is
only reached by working and beating
It while wet, or, as in the case OF the
hard pan subsoil, by continued pres
sure from above. Nor can clay be
kept in this condition except by being
constantly wet. If once dried, or sub
iected to the action of frost. it resumes
Its natural porous confederation.