West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-06-24
Making Money
On the Farm
drainage
BY G. v. GREGORY.
Agricultural Division. Iowa State College
copyrisht 1903. by American Prsss
Association
r N order to mako money ON the farm

KN order TO mako money on the farm
it js FIRST necessary 10 get tho land
I'm shape 10 respond literally TO
tho work put upon II. One OF the
first and most important steps I'm get.
ting IL I'm such condition is 60 drain It
thoroughly. There arc two general
types OF drains-tllo drains ana open
bitches.
About the only place where an open
ditch can DO used TO advantage Is I'm
draining largo sections OF the country
whero natural drainage Is insufficient
TO carry of tho surface water or TO
provide an outlet for tile. Such n
ditch is really an artificial river. Its
largo size prevents Il from becoming
easily clogged. IL should be made
deep enough TO provide good outlet
for tilo systems from tho farms trib-
utory to it. Tho sides should have
slope OF ut least ono 10 ono-run back
ono foot for every foot of rise.
Tho Use Of Tile.
Tho major portion OF tho drainage,
however, must DO dono with tile. In
starting out TO tile farm it pays TO 40
ut it systematically. Few farmers arc
able to tilo their whole farms at once.
but by planning the whole system be-
foro any work is dono and then put
ting In as many rods as possible each
year tho farm will In tho end bo thor
oughly drained at much less expense
than if tho work was gone Mt I'm hit
or miss fashion.
Tho proposed lines OF tilo should be
laid or by n good engineer. uo has
tho tools and ability 60 do Il properly,
and II little money spent I'm this wny
Will DO made up many times over in
the added efficiency OF tho system.
Tho first money that IL spent for tile
should DO put where it will yield the
quickest returns. On almost every
farm there are sloughs and draws that
are too wet to work long after tho rest
OF tho field is dry. Tho loss is not SO
much from tho land that is taken up
by these sloughs, though that often
amounts TO considerable, ns to the
trouble and loss OF timo I'm working
around them. A line OF tile can be run
up to such n place 10 take out the wa
ter and laterals put In later to drain
tho surrounding ground moro thor
oughly.
Often after tho slough is drained
there Will bo n strip OF corn over tho
tilo that will be tho best I'm the field,
whilo out llttlo farther tho corn Will
be small and yellow. Tho width OF
this strip OF corn is very good indi-
cation OF tho distance apart that tho
drains should DO placed. Tho ground
over the tile is warmer and drIcr in
tho spring than the other, and conse-
quently tho corn gets Il better start.
Through tho summer, when thero IS
no water I'm the tile, air is flowing
down through them. This pulls air
down through the soil, making root
growth moro rapid and tho plants
moro vigorous. A deep root system
means large feeding ground and con-
Bequently n larger yield. For these
reasons all low, fat lands should bo
thoroughly underlaid with rows OF
tile, even though tho surface water
never stands on them. A map showing
the exact location OF the drains should
be kept so that they can bo readily
found when It is desired to add later
ais TO the system.
Planning the Drainage System.
In planning n drainage system there
are three especially important consld-
erations-tho depth and size OF the
tile and the distance apart OF tho
drains. More tile drains arc put in too
shallow than too deep. In most soils
four feet is about the right depth. In