The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-04-01
THE SCIENTIFIC DRAINAGE OF IR-
RIGATED LANDS.
Continued From Page 81

some failures to obtain SOOQ results
are probably owing to the fact that
the drains are too small. Shallow
drains do not accomplish the desired
result, nor do drains laid up and down
the slope accomplish the work as fully
and cheaply as those laid across the
slope.
Where drains are laid in wet land
it's unstable condition and water-bear-
ing sand pockets often make it i'm
practicable to use short tiles unless
laid upon a broad base. Sewer pipes
known as seconds" may sometimes
be used in place of drain tiles with
better success because of their greater
length and the addition of sockets
which aid in holding them in align
men.
The plans of treating land for the
purpose of redeeming it from alkali
which has accumulated through evap-
Grafton and seepage are not uniform,
nor is there any practice which has
been so reduced to system as to
Justify an authoritative statement OF
methods that may be best employed
The cutting off of the underground
supply by drainage has often resulted
in the full reclamation of the land,
with no other treatment than subse-
uuent irrigation and cropping. In
other instances, more complete under
drainage and special irrigation with
cultivation for two or more years has
been found necessary.
The experience of r. P. Tjossem, OF
Ellensburg, Wash, in retaining al
kali land proves that it can be done by
undertakings and subsequent 1rrlga-
ton. EIe has tried mole drains and
box drains 2 to 21a feet deep, also box
drains Az feet deep. His draining
was not done Systematically but ex-
perimentally, and was continued over
a field of 72 acres in random way
He discarded the shallow system OF
draining early in the work and adopted
AZ feet as the minimum depth at which
drains should be placed. He is now
of the opinion. that feet is prefer
able He irrigated literally, and by
subsoiling turned the surface SOIL
down as deeply as possible and 1rrl-
gated again. The land was seeded as
rapidly as possible, the completeness
of the reclamation being Indicated by
the growth of the crops planted. Some
parts of the field were soon producing
a paying crop, while other portions
were more stubborn and required fur
Their irrigation and cultivation. AT
the end of five years the entire tract
produced a profitable crop of alfalfa
and timothy. In the sixth year only
small spots remained which tailed TO
produce a good average crop OF grass.
This field at the beginning was badly
affected with alkali, and is described
as absolutely barren, black alkal1 be-
ing prominent among the Salts Inc
drainage was meagre and expert
mental The field is now pointed TO
by neighboring farmers as an example
of the successful reclamation OF alkan
land by under-drainage. The cheapest
and most effective methods and the
details which practical farmers desire
to know are not as fully demonstrated
as they will undoubtedly be later on.
Attention was called to this land
and the method of it's reclamation IN
Bulletin 40 of the Washington State
Experiment Station, issued in 1901, in
which is described quite fully the ma
ture of the soil and the percentage OF
alkali it then contained. The fact that,
in 1903, $1,000 worth of hay was har-
vested and sold from this field, while
the land adjoining it remains highly
charged with alkali and produces only
salt grass, proves in most positive
way the value of drainage as a factor
in retaining allali land. A calcar-
eous hardpan is found over a consid-
cradle portion of land in that locality
When it is encountered it costs Is or
80 cents rod to dig ditch feet
deep by hand labor. Where this does
not exist so cents rod is fair estl-
mate of cost.