Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1901-06-15

in the road vegetation Is continually
pumping the water up from the sub
soil and giving it out into the air
while in the road the compact surfac,
prevents evaporation of the water il
the subsoil. Therefore the road needs
undertakings more than the field.
A second object of undertakings Is
to dry the ground quickly after q
freeze. When the frost comes out OF
the ground in the spring, it thaws
quite as much from the bottom as
from the top. If the land is under
drained, the water when released by
thawing from below will be immedi-
ately carried away. This is particu.
larly important in road drainage.
since the foundation of the road will
then remain solid and the road itself
will not be cut up like untitled roads.
A third. and sometimes a very I'M
portant. object of subdrainage is to re-
move what may be called the under.
flow. In some places where the ground
is comparatively dry when it freezes
in the fall, ii will be very wet in the
spring when the frost comes out
surprisingly so considering the dry
mes before freezing. The explanation
is that after the ground freezes. water
rises slowly in the soil by hydrostatic
pressure of the water in higher places;
and il it is not drawn oil by under
drainage ii saturates the subsoii and
rises as the frost goes out. so that
ground which was comparatively dry
when it froze is practically saturated
when il thaws.
The underdrainage of road rot
only removes the water. but prevents
or greatly reduces, the destructive Ell
feet of frost. Frost is destructive only
where there is moisture. The upheav'
ing action of frost is due to presence
of water. Water expands on freezing
and loosens the soil; when thawine
takes place. the ground is left spongy
and wet. and the roads "break up il
the roads are kept dry they will moi
break up. Underdrainage helps te
keep them dry.
Ii is the universal observation thai
roads in low places which are tiled dry
out sooner than the untitled roads on
the high land. The tiled roads ntvel
get so bad as those not tiled. Itere
is no way in which road taxes can ns
spent to better advantage than in til
ing the roads.
All roads, except those OF pure sand
can be materially improved by tile
drainage. This is the opinion of many
farmers, in several communities, with
whom the writer has conversed on this
subject. In each community this is
universally the opinion OF the farmers
who have had the best success in
draining their own farms. The cos
of tile drainage is not great. say, about
80 cents per rod or $1G0 per mile; ane
the improvement is permanent will
no expense or maintenance, and the
benefit is immediate and certain. Far
Their, tile drainage is the very bes
preparation for gravel or n stone
road. Gravel or broken stone placed
upon an undrained foundation is al
most sure to sink gradually, whateve'
its thickness: whereas thinner layer
upon an undetermined roadbed vii
give much better service. "Roads TILED
without gravel are better than road:
graveled without tile"
The road should be underdrained Sc
as to keep the water level well be
low the road surface. In most local
tiles this can be accomplished reason
ably well by laying line of farm til'
or So feet below the road surface
along one side o. the roadway. 1t il
sometimes claimed that there shoult
be q tile on each side of the road.