The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-04-01
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AGRlcULTURlSTS.
Some Up-to-Date Hints About Gull
tivation Of the Soil and Yields
Observation-Disclosures viticulture and
Horticulture.
An Estimato on Land Dra,nara

An Estimate on Land Drainage.
At the last convention Of the Illi-
nois Clay Workers Association ]. w.
Billingsley read paper, part Of
which, as reported in the Drainage
Journal, was as follows:
We may claim that well-drained
soil will conserve the moisture in the
air by causing it to condense and adj
here to the fine particles of soil in the
passage of the air down to the drain.
Besides, there are other benefits which
might be named to advantage, but
with practical men the question will
be. will it pay as a money investment?
That is, will the money expended in
thorough drainage add so much to the
betterment of the soil that the increas-
ed yield Of the crops grown bring in
the market so much more money than
the money invested in the drainage OF
the land will pay satisfactory inter-
est one year with another, other things
being equal. For instance, If A has
forty acres Of land from which he has
had an average yield Of thirty bushels
of corn for the past ten years-some
years more and some years less-if he
underdrains the land thoroughly, will
the increased yield of his crops for the
next ten years, with good husband-like
care. bring enough more in cash to
pay satisfactory interest on the in
vestment? This Is the question which
we undertake to answer. 1t Is not
enough to say Eyes," The practical
business man wants the figures show
ing the cost and the returns. In solv-
Ing the question suppose that we take
AS forty acres of land, which has been
in cultivation for the past twenty
years. 1t will be admitted that the
virgin richness of the soil has been to
some extent exhausted. The soil is
now of average quality, the humus has
been washed out until 1t is easily COM
pacted, and breaks up cloddy after a
day or two of drying weather; it often
requires repeated narrowing and roll
Ing to make it fine and ready for
planting or sowing the seed. During
the season of cultivating the corn crop
IT the weather is rainy the soil is sell
dom In condition to run the cultiva-
tors. If the season turns off dry then
the cultivation will be difficult, because
OF the hardness and cloddy nature of
the land. and If the dry weather is
long continued the crop will be greatly
damaged. Exactly this condition has
prevailed for the past few years. Some
seasons the yield has been cut fully
fifty per cent, and then when the sea-
son was favorable the crop yield was
much above the average.
When "a" completed the tile drain
age of forty acres, the cost figured up
as follows:
Drain tile. 26,400 pieces, cost. .$4OO
Digging the drains and laying
the tile ..................... 400
Total cost ................ $500
Cost per acre, $40.
In this estimate 660 pieces or forty
rods of tile are required to the acre,
the drains being 66 feet apart, the tile
costing $40 per acre. It is also esti-
mated that $40 will pay for the digging
and laying of the tile and complete the
work. We are aware of the fact that
In some localities the construction of
the drains will cost more money and
In other localities less. We think the
sum named fairly represents the aver
age cost Of laying drain tile in this
state (Illinois) and in many localities
in other states.
The work of draining the forty acres
being completed "a" has an invest
ment of $50 per acre, or $500 in the for
ty acre field. After completing the
work "a" cannot reasonably expect to
grow as large crop the first year af-
ter draining the land as will be real
lied the third or succeeding years. A
year or two is required to make the
soil open and porous between the
drains. especially midway between the
drains. So we, take period Of ten
years and take an average crop as the
basis CT calculation.
II the crop grown is COIN we may
reasonably expect yield of forty
bushels per acre, or an increased yield
Of Is per cent. The land will require
Is per cent less labor to break and pre-
pare it for planting. II the blowing is
done in good season the soil will turn
over so thoroughly pulverized that a
single narrowing is all that will be re-
CURED to make the seed bed as good
as can we'll be desired III the soil has
not been tramped with stock. In some
instances we have known the soil so
fine and mellow when broke that the
planter followed close to the breaking,
and the better condition of the soil
facilitates the work Of cultivating the
corn. The work Of cultivation may
go on in few hours after a heavy
rainfall, when the land 10 well under
drained. We might claim credit of
81 per acre in the less labor required
to plant and cultivate the crop: but
will not include this very satisfactory
credit. We will estimate an average
increased yield of ten bushels per acre,
which, at 20 cents per bushel, makes