Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-16
FOR IOWA.
Something About the Subject OF
Drainage and Its Importance
to Farmers
DREDGE METHOD OF DlTcHlNa
1t Has Been Found the Cheapest and
Most Satisfactory Service Thus Far
How the Work is Carried On
Drainage Laws and Their Effect in
Illinois.

The drainage of wet lands in Iowa by
use of steam dredges is now beng
prosecuted in several counties to
large extent. and it will no doubt be OF
interest to our readers to learn some
thing of the magnitude of this work
and the ultimate results.
The first work OF this kind that was
attempted in our Western states Whtie
the dredges were especially designer
for the purpose and bull. on the upper
end or source of fhe ditches, limos,
Mason and Tazwel counties. Illinois,
and the contract for construction OF the
d,tches was let at Havana, H., in the
year 1880. Quite a large swamp was
drained and the value of the <,nd was
enhanced from s. per acre as swamp to
$l00 and $l25 per acre as improved
farms g few years later. This improve
ment was such a decided success thai
other districts We're organized with
equally good results. Naturally 1t FOL
lowed that good drainage laws tnat
woulc, protect the bond purchasers were
necessary and such laws were enacted
| in Illinois, so that the bonds soon
brought u premium in the ma :onet and
they have been considered gilt edge in
vestment for a number of years in llii-
nois. Indiana followed by amending its
old laws and enacting new ones until
after several years trials ana law suits
they succeeded In getting law that is
evidently satisfactory to all parties in
terested.
Ohio has drained the swamp lands
successfully and Strengthened and
deepened creeks and rivers, but in no
wise of such magnitude as Illinois and
Indiana Wisconsin patterned after the
Illinois law, but has not met with as
good results thru confliction of the old
laws governing logging interests. but
will eventually overcome these confiic-
lions and succeed in converting the
swamps into tillable land. Minnesota is
doing large amount of drainage work
but has been using steam dredge only
within the past five years. The drain
age law of Iowa, recently enacted, was
confirmed by the state supreme court
as being constitutional on contested
points, and it is TO Iowa's credit that the
Iowa drainage bonds We're Immediately
considered gilt edge securities and COM
mand as high a figure as the time test
ed Illinois and Indiana bonds. Missouri
enacted a drainage law patterned from
the Indiana law, and is meeting with
good success but the construction work
is not as much sought after by con-
tractors as Iowa work.
Modern Dredges.
We show a cut of modern typical
drainage dredge. These machines re-
quire long boom on a narrow boat
and in this respect differ from the lake
and harbor dred,ges. On account of the
narrow boat hull it was found necessary
to arrange to sustain the load on what is
known as bank spuds, as shown in the
cut. These spuds are operated by steam
power and when the dredge is in opera
ton the spuds are forced down which
tends to raise the boat thus contribute
ing the load onto the Spuds. The dipper
is then operated to dip out the material
as far ahead as the handle will permit
which varies from six to ten feet, ac-
cording to the depth of the ditch. The
| width of the ditch is lined out and when
excavated to the width and depth re-
quired the dipper is lowered on to the
bank ahead. Then the spuds are raised
so that the entire load is thrown onto
the boat hull Then the boat is moved
ahead from six to 10 feet by pulling on
a cable or chaint that connects to the
dipper handle near the clipper. Then
the spuds are forced down so they will
get the load again, and the operation of
excavation repeated. And SO it pro-
ceeds in six to ten foot jumps until the
end of the ditch is reached.
Good Wages Paid.
The modern machine requires three
men to operate on each shift of twelve
hours, and is usually operated day and
night. The men are we'll paid, skilled
workmen, and the demand for good men
in this line is greater than the supply.
The dipper, while operated by steam
power, goes thru the same performance
as person would operate a tin dipper
to scoop up sand, except the dumping.
This is done by unlatching the swinging
door or bottom to the dipper, and is UNI
latched by steam power thru the chain
shown in the picture.
Drainage Theories.
Many different theories have been
tried in drainage and arguments ad-
vanced in favor Of making the excava-
ton with machine that will work in
dry ditch, the idea of a sloping bank
being an attractive feature. But the
facts remain that the floating dredge
is cheapest TO operate and executes the
most work in a season. 1t is not pos
sible to slope the bank with one of these
dredges, but practice has proven that
a. ditch bank will in time assume q
slope that the nature of the soil re-
quires and where the ditch will have to
carry away flood waters it is a we'll
known fact that after one seasons run
it is impossible to tell whether the ditch
has been constructed with a floating
dredge or by use of teams or ma
chinery that will cut sloping bank.
Nature performs in it's own way to
govern such things, and the land own
ers are money ahead that do not spend
their money in going against nature.
Drainage bitches.
The idea of these large drainage
bitches is not so much to carry flood
waters as it is to make an outlet for
tile. True, they must carry the flood
water, but during summer months or
during dry seasons they are still valu-
able as an outlet for tile. In localities
such as northern Iowa. where we have
deep frost, the tile must have good
fall at the outlet to be a success: and
again surface drainage is not what land
requires to be good tillable land Under
drainage is the secret of good crops. 1t