Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-09-27
USE OF DRAIN TILE.
ITS VALUE AS AN IMPROvER OF
EARTH ROADS.
Also the Best Preparation For q
Gravel or stone Road-Why High
ways Should De Observation-Disclosures
Line of Tile Usually Sufficient.

Gravel OF stone Roadway High
why's Should De Observation-Disclosures
Line of Tile Usually Sufficient.
All roads except those on pure sand
can be materially improved by tile
drainage, says Professor Ira o. Baker
Of the Illinois experiment station. This
is the opinion of many farmers in sew
eral communities with whom the writ
er 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 cost of tile drainage Is not
great-say, about 80 cents per rod, or
S16O per mile-and the improvement Is
tenance, and the benefit Is immediate
and certain.
Further, tile drainage is the very best
preparation for q gravel or q stone road.
Gravel or broken stone placed upon an
undrained foundation is almost sure to
sink gradually, whatever its thickness,
whereas thinner layer upon an under
drained roadbed will give much better
service. Roads tiled without gravel
are better than roads graveled with
out tile"
The road should be underdrained so
as to keep the water level well below
the road surface. In most localities
this can be accomplished reasonably
well by laying n line of farm tile three
or three Ind one-half feet below the
road surface along one side of the road
way. 1t Is sometimes claimed that
there should be a tile on each side of
the road.
Some tests recently made by the ILL
nois experimental station mot yet pub
lished) seem to indicate that one line
will give fairly good drainage under
the most adverse conditions. The ex-
pertinent consisted in the drainage of
piece of land selected as the worst
that could be found in a part Of the
state notorious as having large area
of hardpan which II was generally
considered could not be underdrained
because the soil held water like a
jug" Lines Of tiles were placed two
apart. The water level at a point mid
way between the lines of tiles was
lowered 10 inches, when at the
same time the water level in the I'M
drained portion Of the field was only
six inches below the surface. In this
case the surface of the ground water
had a slope of one foot in 25 feet,
, but In more porous soil the slope
would be much less. Therefore a sim
gle line of tile three or three and one
half feet deep, If of adequate size, will
give nearly perfect drainage; and Sec
, ond line will not materially improve 1t.
Some writers on good roads advocate
:. the use of line of tile under the mid
die of the Travelled portion and some
: advocate a line on each side of the
, wheelway The object sought by these
, tiles Is rapid drainage, and therefore it
Is urged that they should be laid near
the surface. 1t is doubtful whether
any water will reach the tile since the
road surface when wet Is puddled by
the traffic, which prevents the water
percolating through the soil, and it is
, certain that in clay or loan the drain
: | dSt lluS ODlullltu 10 VI uO
value. More than one farmer has tried
to drain his barnyard by laying tile
near the surface, always without appre-
ciable effect.
While a line of tile on one side of the
, road is usually sufficient, there Is often
q great difference as to the side on
which it should be laid. If one side
Of the road is higher than the other,
, the tile should be on the high side to
intercept the ground water that Is
flowing down the slope under the sur
face.
The tile should be laid in the bottom
of the side ditch below the frost line.
, OF course the tile should have a uni
form grade and a sufficient fall and an
adequate outlet. The size of the tile
required will depend upon the length
{ of the line and the grade Of the ditch,
| but local experience in farm drainage
I is likely to be better guide than any
general statement that can be made
here. Farm drainage is almost certain
to precede road drainage in any partic-
ular locality.
The side bitches are to receive the
| NultT lIOll Tic ldCc VI tue udNelct
way and should carry 1t rapidly and
entirely away from the roadside. They
are useful also to intercept and carry
off the water that would otherwise flow
from the side hills upon the road. Or
dinarily they need not be deep and, II
possible, should have a broad. farine
side toward the travelled way to pre-
vent accident If vehicle should be
crowded to the extreme side Of the
? roadway. The outside bank should bt
: fiat enough to prevent caving. The
I proper form of ditch is easily made by
! the usual road machine or road grader
The side ditch should have free out
let into some stream so as to carry the
water entirely away from the road
+ No good road can be obtained with side
: bitches that hold the water until 4
+ evaporates.