Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-07-10
DRAINAGE WORK in
RED RIVER VALLEY

The state engineer, Mr.. Fellows,
returned yesterday, after visit
ito several OF the drainage districts in
the Red river valley. He states that
the crops in general, promise to be
remarkably good in that section as
well as in the western part of the
state, that there are many thousands
of acres there that will produce no.
crops this year owing to the inability
Of the farmers to plough and seed be-
cause of insufficient drainage facili-l
ties. 1t has been estimated that
there are approximately 250,0O0 acres
of land of this character, this year, in
North Dakota between Hillsboro and
Fargo, and that there are in the neigh
borhood of 100000 acres of this kind
| in the Red river valley in this state
and in Minnesota, above Grand Forks;
| The peculiar feature of it is that an
expenditure of only one or two dollars
per acre would, for the most part
relieve the situation and make every
acre worth at least double. it's present
value in the eyes of both purchaser
/ and producer. Many bitches, how
ever, are either already under way or
! are being petitioned for In Pembina
county, for example, large ditch
4 is being constructed near Bowesmont
! by means of a machine constructed on
the ground by North Dakota ingenuity.
Mr.. Fellows believes that this ma
chine will revolutionize the construc-
1 tion of drainage, bitches. p, j
/ The engineering party under Mr..
Atkinson making drainage survey in
I Pembina county for the U. S. depart.
ment of agriculture, was also visited
This work is progressing rapidly and
if the weather remains as good as ii
4 has been for the past week, the survey
should be completed early in August
The method adopted this year is for
four level parties to run ON four ad
jacent parallel section lines running
! east and west, recording the levels al
, least every quarter of mile. About
| eight miles per day are made and al
the close Of tie days work the parties
correct this work so that any errol
may be detected and corrected. Tht
next day the next four section line!
to the north are run and in the sam.
way, thus completing a tract eigh
! miles square. The camp is the1
Z moved to the next tract and tn
process is repeated. In results at
t tanned it is doubtful if this record wa
: lever surpassed for accuracy, econom
! and speed. 49,. ~ W. =
t Mr.. Fellows also visited Crookston
! Mimi, for the purpose of consultin;
with Mr.. J. r., stewart,sU. S. drainag
engineer, who has general charge o
> all the drainage surveys and work car
: ried on by the department Of agricul
ture in this region. Mr.. Stewart i
? personally engaged in planning an es
: tensive system Of surface and til
Il drainage for the Crookston experimaa
farm. The information that will b
derived from this system will be il
valuable as every effort is being mad
to determine for that locality the bes
3 methods of tile drainage with all it
costs, profits, permanent benefits an,
increase in value taken in to consider
, alton. Full reports of the results al
tanned will be published in due course
Similar work is being done at tn
} agriculture college farm at Fargo
r also under the direction of Presiden
Worst. The results are awaited wit
f deep interest by land owners VIII
2 contemplate tile drainage.