The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-03-18

Recent Experiments III bih"'S'
How the Work should lie Done.
All roads except those on pure sand
can be materially improved 10y tile
drainage. says Professor Ira q. Baker
of the Illinois agricultural experiment
station in Good Roads Magazine. This
is the opinion of many farmers in sev-
eral communities with whom the writ
or has conversed on this subject. In
each community this is universally the
onjnion of the farmers who have had
the best success in draining their own
farms. The cost of tile drainage is not
great-say about 30 cents per rod. or
Sl6O per mile-and the Improvement is
permanent. with no expense tor main
tenance. and the benefit is immediate
and certain.
Further. tile drainage is the very
best preparation for gravel or a
stone road. Gravel or broken stone
placed upon an uudrained foundation
is almost sure To sink gradually, what
ever its thickness. wheraas thinner
layer upon an underdraincd roadbed
will give much better service. Roads
tiled without gravel are better than
roads graveled without 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 line Of fariH tile three
or three and half feet below the road
surface along one side of the roadway.
1t is sometimes claimed that there
should be a tile on each side Of the
road.
Some tests recently made by the Hi
nois experimental station, not yet pub
lshed. seem to indicate that one line
will give fairly good drainage under
the most adverse conditions. The eX-
pertinent consisted in the drainage Of
a 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 it was generally con
sidered could not be underdraned be
cause the soil held water like jug.
Lines Of tiles were placed two and
half feet deep and fifty feet apart. The
water level at point midway between
the lines of tiles was lowered eighteen
inches, when at the same time the wa
ter level in the undrained 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 twenty-five feet. but in more
porous soil the slope would be much
less. Therefore a single line of tile
three or three and a half feet deep. If
Of adequate size, will give nearly per
feet drainage, and second line will
not materially improve it.
Some writer's on good roads advocate
the use Of a 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 1t
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 il is
certain that in clay or loan the drain
age thus obtained is Of no practical
value. More than one farmer has tried
to drain his barnyard by laying tile
near the surface, always without APP
preciable effect.
While line of tile on one side Of the
road is usually sufficient. there is Of
ten a great difference as to the side on
which II should be laid. If one side of
the road is higher than the other, the
tile should be on the high side to in
tercept the ground water that is flow
ing down the slope under the surface.
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
is likely to be better guide than any
general statement that can be made.
Farm drainage is almost certain to
precede road drainage in any particu-
lar locality.
The side bitches are to receive the
water from the surface Of the Travelled
way and should carry it 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.
Ordinarily they need not be deep and.
If possible, should have broad, far
ing side toward the Travelled way to
prevent accident if a vehicle should be
crowded to the extreme side Of the
roadway. The outside bank should be
fat enough to prevent caving. The
proper form Of ditch is easily made by
the usual road machine or road grad
er. The side ditch should have a free
outlet 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 it evaporates.
Much alleged roadwork is a positive
damage for this reason. Piling up the
earth in the middle Of the road is per
haps in itself well enough, but leaving
undrained holes at the side Of the road
probably more than counterbalances
the benefits of the embankment A
road between long artificial ponds Is
always inferior and is often impassa
BILE. 1t Is cheaper and better to make
a lower embankment and to drain
thoroughly the holes at the side Of the
roads. Often the public funds can be
more wisely used in making bitches
I'm adjoining private lands than in max
inc nODdc af tho roadside in an Qf-