The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1907-06-28
TUpELO, MISSISSIPPI. FRIDAY JUNE q
The System Of Drainage
and Its Uses.
By A.F. cRIDER, State Geolosi.t.

| Owing to the great benefits
that have been derived from the
system of drainage wherever
tried, we publish the following
from State Geologist 4. i. Cri-
der, which we believe will be of
! general interest:
Under the new state drainage
law a number of drainage dis
tricts have been organized in the
Yazoo delta and in .ne eastern
part of the state, and others are
in process of formation. Drain
age is of paramount Importance
to the people of Mississippi and
a few words on this subject may
be Of value at this time
There are two objects to be OBJ
! tanned in draining land. First,
the removal of surface water for
the improvement of sanitary con-
ditions; second, the preparation
of the soil for efficient cultiva-
ton. In many places the sur
face water can be removed and
sanitary conditions improved
without greatly improving the
soil for cultivation; while on the
other hand drainage that will
prepare the soil for cultivation
necessarily betters the sanitary
conditions.
/ One of the essential things in
organizing a drainage district Is
to make the district as large as
possible. The size of the district
should be determined by the nat
ural water shed. Other condi-
tions being equal a large district
can be drained at less cost per
acre than a smaller one. Many
persons refuse to have their land
made part Of a district. The ben
efits to be derived from judicial
drainage is not apparent to ev-
cry land owner. Many do not
realize that it will increase the
value of wet, swampy land two
fold, and insure a crop in the
rainiest season. On many of our
semi-wet lands, which are cult
waited every year at a los to the
owner, good drainage will in
crease the yield from 10 to 100
per cent.
The drainage commissioners
should study the subjectof drain
age so that they can present it to
the land owners in a convincing
manner. ''The Clay Worker" !"
published at indianapolis, and
Brick, " published at Chicago,
devote a column or more to the
subject of drainage each month.
Every drainage commissioner
should have a copy of the "An-
nual Report of Irrigation and
Drainage Investigation for 1904"
issued by the U. S. Department
of Agriculture. This report was
made by Mr.. z. G. Elliott, engi-
neer in charge of drainage in
vestigations. 1t can be obtained
by writing to Mr.. Elliott, U. S.
Departmen of Agriculture, Wash
ington, D. G..
! DRAINAGE MAPS.
| Before any dirt should be NOV
ed a large scale map should be
made of the district to be drain.
ed, and accurate date obtained
on which to base the plans for
the improvement of the land.
The map should show the extent
of the catchment area, the loca
tion of ridges, swamps. old
sloughs, river channels, etc. In
addition to the base map pro-
files should be made along the
route Of the proposed bitches.
MAIN DITCHES.
The main bitches should be
deep and wide enough to carry
off all surface water, and give
an outlet to all lateral bitches
and drain tile. No main ditch
through a level area should be
less than 5 or 6 feet deep in the
shallowest place. The main
ditch must carry all the water of
the entire district. Drain tile
should be laid 3 feet deep. Drain
tile 3 feet deep emptying into a
main ditch 81 feet deep is effec-
tual only when the water in the
main ditch is below that level.
Provision should be made for
i heavy rains when the main ditch
is from one-third to one-half full.
| A deep narrow ditch is better as
an outlet for tile than a broad
shallow one.
j 1t may be a trife more expen-
sive to dig a deep ditch than a
shallow one, but the ultimate
cost is less. A shallow ditch will
not be satisfactory in tile drain
ed land, and eventually the ditch
will have to be deepened.
| VALUE OF DRAINAGE.
| In lands where tile drainage
hoe hon,, inctit.fo1 ov.op y,roduo.