The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-31
LAND DRAINAGE
SUBJECT o.
FARMERS
Closing Day Of Institute De-
voted to Dis
cussion
OF LAYING DRAIN TILE
Comparisons Of Conditions Here and
Other States Ably Dis
cussed.
IF LAYING DRAIN TILE
IORsE RAISING IS PROFITABLE
James Austen Recommends Breeding
Draft Horses for nlarket-CIo.ipr
Day Interesting. l.-

OuS AMtcEeotIW8s N+- F.
The last day of the farmers insti-
tute was opened by some practical
talks on drainage by Profs. Hover
stad and Wing, the latter giving his
experiences in the work in Ohio. He
suggested that what is necessary in
this state Is law modelled after that
of Ohio which provides that the coun-
ty commissioners may upon petition
open large county bitches which ex-
tend through more than one town
ship, and pay for them with county
bonds running through series Of
years, and payable out Of a sinking
fund created from taxes on the land
benefited. Township trustees may
order farmers to construct their part
of the bitches running through
township, and emptying into the
county drains. The farm draining Is
done with tile and in this way lands
which in the early days grew moth
ing but mosquitoes and malaria are
now the finest farms in the state. 1t
has made lands which without this
was not worth more than $40 per
acre increase to 500.
ANSAJ 6CA4OS I'll NuSSJlOuS lOl-
lowed, and the method of laying tile
was called for. The tile should be
laid on a level and with fall of one
inch per hundred feet.
What effect the frost in the land
in this country would have on tile,
drainage was brought out, and Prof.
Hoverstad stated that he believeds 1t
was practical, and Prof. Wing stated
that the cause of ice freezing in the
tile was the unlevel laying of the tile
SO that the drains fill with water and
not drain. 1t was suggested that there
is but little, If any water in the drains
at freezing time in the fall, and that
so soon as thawing began the water
would perculate into the drain. In
this particular Prof Hoverstad stated
that he had seen at the Wisconsin
experiment station the water per-
colate through three feet of frozen
soil. Mr.. Wing suggested that work.
ing manure into the soil and thus
lOOsening 1t up was a great aid in
allowing the water to flow into the
drain.
James Austin gave a splendid talk
on horse raising, and as he is an
expert in this line, the talk was de-
cidedly interesting. After advocating
the raising of horses because of the
ready market that awaits them, he
suggested that the best breed was one
of the draft horses, because this was
the kind which would be in demand
in this country for years, and that be-
cause our native grown horses are
acclimated to our native foods and
water they surpass any other in the
world for North Dakota purposes.
Passing to the subject of breeding
he favored the use of good thorough
bred sire even at an extra expense
rather than that of scrub at cheaper
rates. Later in reply to question
he suggested that the sire which was
worked to reasonable extent would
produce more energetic colts than
one which was pumpered, and weak
and fabby from lack of USE
He gave the following points for
determining the qualities of a good
sire: Broad between the eyes, which
showed intelligence and good dispo-
sition; clear, bright eye; ears erect
or slightly forward; large nostrils;
good lung capacity short back;
close ribbed; well developed muscles
in hind quarters; flat bones; straight
back.
The question aroused considerable
discussion and the plan of keeping
the colts with the dams while the lat
ter were at work became quite In.
teresting, and it was finally decided
that such a course was not best One.
farmer suggested that building
cOrrell six rods square of smooth
wire and near the horse pacture, and
putting the dam and colt both in this
learned the colt what a fence Is and
often preventing serious injury later
in life. j5
Last nights session of the institute
was a disappointment and pleasure
"a disappointment In the fast that
President Worst was unable to be
present, and q pleasure because the
instructors were fully able to fill his
place, and that is paying them the
highest tribute possible. IS
The talks were random ones. Prof.
Hoverstad possesses a dry humor that
Is delightful and gives 4 the nearer
something to laugh over week after
ward. g,e.J
Joe Wing is always interesting, not.
only because Of the pleasing manner,
but because of the wonderful fund Of
information at his command. III s,5
Mr.. Lichard is not only a practical
farmer, but a remarkably good COM
mon sense talker, with practical ideas
and is an Invaluable institute worker
Had he turned his brains and story
telling ability to politics he might to-
day be filling Depew's seat In the sen-
ate; II
&. Yesterdays session.
Prof. Lichard continued the sub.
ject Of corn growing by giving q
splendid talk on the building Of silos
and the preparation Of silage. 4 In the
building Of the silo, the things to con-
slider are strength, tightnesS and
depth. The foundation should y be
strong and the building should be Of
timber built like q frame building and
lined inside with inch pine boards.
The making OF silage from corn was
the theme Of Mr.. Lichard'A talk. Corn
should be fairly ripe and have plenty
Of carr. ,5 MS .si AZ h IN
|! 3 Prof. Wing added some Ideas on the
building 0f circular cement GilOs and
the methods Of dlling them Round
silog are better than square ones, ~
cause the corners cannot 10 well
| packed, They should hAves only aA
| ground door q that the acids mAy
Y 60. ~ ~ !, lss 81 j. 4 ssa