The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-05-28
DRAINAGE WANTED
IN RED RIVER
VALLEY
State Engineer Fellows Writes
Interestingly to the Times
on This Subject.

of North Dakota on the drainage Of
the Red river valley:
l have just read with much inter-
est your editorial upon 1.-THE Drain
age Question" in your issue of May
%. You take the right view, I am
sure, when you say that the Red River
valley needs to have its water table
lowered few inches. The solution of
all the principal difficulties of profit
able farming in the Red River valley
is intelligent and adequate drainage,
nor is there any such great difficulty
IN the way of satisfactory system of
the drainage of the Red River valley
as seems to be generally assumed. I
have been devoting great deal of
study to the conditions there and am
satisfied that not only is it perfectly
feasible to drain the entire valley so
that there will be but seldom, if ever,
any great trouble from flooding, but
further that the cost of such drainage
would not be, as seems to be assumed,
a great burden, but would be simply
wise investment. returning every
year far more than the expenditure.
That is simply part of a good bust
ness management. The difficulty is
simply in getting the parties who
would be benefited together, by or
ganiZing them into drainage district
OF proper size with proper officers.
There is little likelihood that if this
district We're properly organized and
the bitches laid out to the best poss-
IDLE advantage and made large enough
to carry off the surplus water, the
cost would exceed five dollars per
acre which would be repaid in the
form of taxes running through per-
lod OF several years; but supposing it
cost ten dollars per acre, the in
creased yield for a single year would
repay to the farmer the entire outlay,
and the improvement to his farm
would be permanent This is not the
place for an exhaustive essay upon the
benefits to be derived from thorough
drainage, but few plain statements
as to what drainage should and could
accomplish may not be out of place.
l. 1t would permit the farmer to
get his crop in earlier in the spring,
and would assure his ability to get
upon the land at almost any time that
he might need to do so for the pur-
pose of cultivation, harvesting sum-
mer following, seeding, etc.
2. 1t would, excepting under the
most extraordinary conditions of ex-
IRENE drought or precipitation, insure
to the growing crop Just the amount of
water that 1t needs for the attainment
of the best results. Intelligent drain
age does not draw off the water which
plant needs for its growth. That
is retained in the soil by capillary at
traction and other forces. It does,
however, remove the surplus water
which is an injury to the growing
plant and to the ground upon which
it lies.
3. The character of the soil itself
would be greatly bettered. making it
more easily handled
4. 1t permits of a certain amount
OF air getting to the roots of the
plant. and this is as necessary for
the plant life as the moisture.
5. 1t would permit of a greater
variety of crops and a greater facil-
ity in rotating crops.
A brief comparison with the cost of
improving lands in other localities
may be OF interest also. In many
places in Iowa, Illinois and other
states. where the lands are no better
and no more productive than they are
in the Red River valley, it has been
found profitable to spend not only
preliminary five dollars per acre in
surface drainage. but twenty and
twenty-five dollars per acre in tile
drainage. l predict that the time is
not far distant when the most far
seeing agriculturists in this state will
resort to tile drainage with great benefit
to their lands and to themselves In
the old world no cost is deemed too
great to insure drainage to territories
as rich naturally as the Red River val
ley. Again compare the cost necessary
with the amount of irrigation and
drainage combined in this country.
Ii drainage is necessary in many To-
calities where irrigation is practiced
cost of forty or even fifty dollars
per acre in many sections is not con-
sidered at all prohibitive, but is on the
other hand considered a wise invest
ment which will return many times
over Its expenditure within the time
required for the repayment of the cost.
II lands In Oregon and Washington
can stand an outlay of forty to fifty
dollars per acre, certainly lands in
the Red River valley can stand an out
lay of five dollars per acre.
AS is we'll known to your readers
this office has been cooperating with
the U. 8. department of agriculture
In making surveys of the Red River
valley and studying the situation from
a broad standpoint, and can say that
l feel positive that there are no in
superable or even especially great
obstacles to be overcome. excepting
that one Of getting your people to
pull together. The principal trouble
there In drainage matters is that the
subject has not been studied in a
broad way and three points are often
neglected in the construction of drain
age canals.
l. There is not enough investiga-
ton made to give assurance that the
best possible grades and outlets have
been found.
2. The canals are usually made too
small and shallow SO that they do not
do the work for which they were in
tended. This is a Penny wise and a
pound foolish" policy.
3. insufficient publicity is given
to the bids for construction and con-
sequently the cost is out of propor-
ton to the benefits.
All of these difficulties may be over
come, however. and there is no good
reason why they should not be.
Very respectfully.
"A. L. Fellows,
State Engineer.