St. Tammany farmer., 1901-08-17

trenches shown in the figure as trend
ing diagonally toward the right-hand
lower corner. From these trenches
the water can be turned upon the low
er fields so that the excess or seepage
is not wasted, but is employed ON the
less elevated tracts.
Canvas dams are generally employed
in checking the waters over the field,
as they are most convenient. Tke fol-
lowing description will enable anyone
to construct them, and will also ex-
plain their use. The materials used in
the construction of canvas dam are
piece of timber, usually two by
four scantling, long enough to reach
across the top of the ditch from bank
to bank; small stick varying in
length according to the width of the
ditch to be damned, but no longer
than will lie across the bottom of the
ditch without leaving any consider
able space between the stick and the
bottoms; a brace or stick about one
third longer than the depth of the
ditch and piece Of canvas about one
third wider than the depth Of the
ditch and as long as the width OF the
ditch at the upper edge. The canvas
is cut into a trapezoidal shape, some
what resembling but larger than a
section of the ditch. The long edge of
the canvas is fastened to the scant-
ling first described and the short edge
to the small stick. It is well to have
little margin of the canvas below
this short stick.
scantling across the ditch just below
the point at which it is desired to d.
vert the water. The canvas rests in
the ditch, with the short stick lying
across the bottom, far enough up
stream from the location of the scant-
ling to make the canvas nearly tight.
The brace is placed with one end
against the scantling and the other
against the short stick, thus prevent
ing the canvas from being washed
back under the scantling.
A little earth is thrown upon the
loose edges of the canvas, where it
rests against the banks and against
the bottom of the ditch, and the
water is turned in. The weight of the
water presses the canvas against the
banks, SO that there is scarcely any
leakage. In some cases permanent
dams with head gates are placed in
the bitches, and this is often done
where bitches branch and it is desira-
BILE to divert the water to ore or the
other branch-W. j.. Blanchard, in
Farm and Home.
Keeping Roads I'm Condition.
Fred Grundy, in Farm and Fireside,
tells us he has been watching "road-
keeper" care for ten miles of black
earth road, and he has kept it in
good condition, not by macadamizing
it or by covering it with. crushed
stone, but by providing good drain
age, by tile in most places to take
the water off, and by digging out
some of the worst places about 1S
inches deep and filing with broken
brick, tile, coal, cinders or whatever
will make a firm foundation. and al
low water to drain through Then if
the roads are rounded up to allow
the water to, run off and they get
little attention after every rain,
they are easily kept in good condi-
ton. The results are much better
and the cost much less than they
were for the annual turnout of the
district to mend, or often to make
worse the roads, the job being ex-
pected then to be done until the same
season comes around another year.
Wood Ashes M Fertilizer.
Wood ashes give the best results on
pa sture land, orchards, small fruits
and on clover. To purchase wood
ashes is risk, as it is difficult to pro-
cure two lots alike in composition,
while exposure to rains may cause
loss of potash by leaching. If one has
ashes it will pay to use them, as they
contain both lime and potash, but it
will be found better and cheaper to