Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-06
THE Med OF DRAINAGE
Iowa's Big Loss From Lack of
ItShoWn by Statistics From
Safe College
ESTIMATED AT OVER s2o,ooo,ooe
Experiment Station at the State Col
lese Gathers Facts About the Farr,
Lands Whuch are Rendered Useless
by the Lack of Proper Drainage sys-
tens.

Des Moines, July 6-The annual loss
age of farm lands exceeds $50, 100000
At 5 per cent interest this annual
loss represents capital amounting to
$406 000, 900, which is invested but nom
productive.
These startling facts are the meat of
the drainage investigation in which the
experiment station at the State Agrl-
cultural college has been engaged for
a long time and the results of which
have been compiled into simple little
bulletin of inestimable value to the
farmers and land owners of the state
The bulletin has just been issued.
In nutshell it summarizes the drain
age aud anti-drainage situation in
Iowa as follows:
Average size of Iowa farm
in acres 2oS
Per cent of land partially
non productive in 1903. 49,
Per cent wholly non-pro-
ductiye ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. GA
Per cent in pasture because
too wet for cultivation. 90
Fer cent subject to overflow ga
Per cent of farms which
would he benefited by
drainage ................ Al,
Number of acres partially
productive ... 4,062,355
Annual loss at SIS an acre. s 20, ,77o
Nom productive Capital in
VOWED at per cent. ..... $406, 235. 500
Cost of drainage at $25 per
acre Sl0l, BOZ 81 D
Increase in property value
value to counties of state .$304,676. 525
The estimate of slightly more than
500, 100000 to drain the entire state
and make all its acres tillable and pro-
ductive is q surprise to men who have
given some thought to the question.
They have assumed that the cost
would be enormously In excess of that
| figure. The investment is not SO large
as to discourage the movement toward
universal drainage which has been
made practicable thru the passage OF
the recent law on the subject by the
Iowa legislature.
On the other hand, the annual loss is
appalling. No one imagined that there
were more than 100000 acres of land
in Iowa which are made untillable by
excessive moisture. A loss of 0,000,-
q year to the farmers is nearly double
the value of their total wheat crop, is
four-fifths the value Of the oat crop of
Iowa, is nearly one-half the value of
the hogs and is one-third the sum in
vested in farm implements.
The bulletin of the college declares
that the estimate of the cost of doing
the work of drainage Is very high;
many localities would not require s25
an acre. But the estimate was made
high 80 there could be no question as
to the estimate of money to be saved
by the Investment.
After exhaustive discussion of the
conditions of the farms Of the state
and the extent to which they can be
improved, undoubtedly by drainage, the
experiment station bulletin sets out the
following summary of conclusions:
1. Over 100000 acres of Iowa land
would be greatly benefited by tile
drainage.
O. A very large percentage of this
number was wholly unproductive last
year.
8. The direct financial loss to this
state last season thru lack of adequate
drainage was approximately $4,000
| 900.
4. The rapid rise in land values
makes tile drainage imperative: it also
makes 1t a profitable investment.
5. Under drainage benefits rolling
LANDS. 1t prevents the loss of the most
valuable part of the soil thru washing
| and by removing the surplus ground
Iwater prevents seepage.
6. Thousands of acres of our most
fertile lands are undrained. These un-
productive acres represents millions of
dollars of unavailable capital.
| Z. Rotation of crops is essential to
successful farming. On thousands of
| farms thuout the state we'll planned,
l :, aln make