Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-05-03
Results from Tile Draining.

Results from Tile Draining.
Since my boyhood days, when l uset
to watch my father and older brother,
tile draining land that had always beef
waste and unproductive, and transform
ing 1t into the most valuable soil on th'
old farm, have been, to put it mildly
an enthusiast on The subject of drain
age, and as the years rolled by and tht
time came for me to have home of my
own, / chose just that kind of land
The place contained forty acres, and my
experience in handling that proposition
and the results would make an article BY
itself.
The larger farm that l bought afte
selling the forty acres had been mostly
uuderdrained by a former owner.
have let this for number of years OF
shares, and have been engaged in Other
business that has brought me into the
management of extensive drainage pro
jects. Over this observation-disclosures es-
tate we have buried during the past
three years about twelve miles OF tiles
of various sizes; and during these spring
days of continued thaw, causing far
greater food than usual flor the snow
fall this past winter has been very deep
il is a great satisfaction to go around
wearing high. topped boots and see the
water discharging at the outlets and find
everything working to perfection.
| am just going to tell about two jobs
that show the most marked results at
this writing. The first is q basin into
which the surface drainage of about
seventy five or one hundred acres OF wa
tershed collects. This had always been
considered an impossible piece OF land.
The basin proper covers about eight
acres-that is, in the lowest part. The
eighteen acres in this whole piece Of
property was bought up by man with
whom have been connected IN busi-
ness way, who believes in progress and
i'm mproyement and has faith in drainage.
We canvsssed the situation pretty we'll
before undertaking the job, and then got
after il good and proper. The results
speak out loud. We began by starting
with an eight-inch run Of tile below the
roadway, and coming through the lowest
rim of the basin at depth Of six feet
part of the way, so that the ditch
through the lowest part of the basin is
two and one-half feet deep. This main
was laid on eight-inch boards most of
the way to prevent anything like quick
sand botheriug, and the top soil was
tamped down firmly on both sides of the
tile. The main ditch was about one
hundred rods in length. There were
many laterals connected with it, and also
two large stone intakes to take care of
the water that flowed out from neigh
bor's land. Having done this last sea-
son, we have been waiting for present
conditions and spring floods to see how
the results would show up.
The land was all sown to wheat last
fall and there was good take. Well,
the thaw came on so rapidly that the wa
ter collected in the basin before the frost
came out of the ground so that it could
get to the tiles, and we had for few
days a five-aore pond. did not invite
the owner out to see it just then, but
yesterday March ~ the frost had ap-
parently all come out, for the pond was
all gone; the wheat was looking fine,
and the outlet of the eight-iuch tile still
doing business. This piece of land had
been condemned, and we were ridiculed
for thinking that we could do what we
did.
The other basin job was on another
farm, and was along the highway, and it
also had been passed by as bad job.
It had the surface drainage of perhaps
fifty acres of land, including the leach
ing from the barn-yard and stables, and
is a very rich field; but had always been
too wet for cropping. l studied this
job long enough aud uuder different
conditions to feel confident in attempt
ing TO reclaim il, and We went at Ii with
a force of men in a way that caused not
little comment and criticism. As in
the other case, We began In another
field, crossing the road at the lowest
point in the rim of the basin, at a depth
of about six feet, using two six-ineh
tiles for the first 20 OF 80 rods, doing
away with the old sluice bridge, and
putting in it's stead twelve-inch iron
pipe 10 prevent a possible overflow OF
the highway during unusual flood con-
ditions. and placing the drains in the
field about 43 feet apart. Then the old
sod was fall plowed, and We were not
alone in watching for the results this
spring There was not as much frost In
this fall plowed sod, and the water dis
appeared In twelve hours. This 6eld
sil be dry and fit to work before the
land on the upland can be plowed, and
We are all feeling pretty well satisfied
with our work.
A friend, who Is doctor, said 10 me
last summer that We must be crazy to
spend so much money in ditching that
field. answered, as always do. that
tile drainage Is not money spent, 10 10 an
investment so sure and safe that there Is
no worry about returns. L understand
that now he is a convert to tile drainage.
This field, being along the highway, has
been watched by great many, and has
been q big object-lesson 10 drainage.
The only time that drainage is expensive
is when II is not properly done, and this
has caused much Of the failure and dis
couragement-H. <. Cox, Livingston
County, N. Y, in Country Gentleman.