The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-24
Drainage and Its Advantages

bitches are used to form the outlet 70
tile where the water has to be carrie,
! In considerable volume for long dis
, tances as the large tile would then b.
! too expensive. In the valley wher,
! natural outlets are few and Ear be
I tween, large bitches built by the coun.
" or by the cooperation Of farmer,
] ma drainage district will have to b,
, hresorted to. These dirches should. o.
possible, coincide with the road ditche,
instead Of passing through the field.
as they cut the fields up badly anc
form breeding places for foul weeds
bitches must be cleaned out occasion.
ally to remain effective so that In the
long run tile outlets are cheaper and
more satisfactory.
These open bitches should be depend.
ed upon only as carriers Of water from
tile systems and to remove spring
floods or storm water after excessive
rains. Surface drainage can never ac-
compiish the benefits that accrue from
under drainage, besides IL carries away
an enormous amount Of fertilizing con-
stltuents from manure and other vege-
table matter.
Securing Outlet q Difficulty.
The most serious difficult, TO meet
in draining is to secure an efficient out
let This Is obviously the first and
most important part of any drainage
system and without Il no system. how
ever perfectly installed, can do good
| work. To secure the desired outlet 1t
may be necessary in some localities to
deepen and dredge out small coulies
| and, other natural water courses and to
deepen and lengthen surface bitches al
ready installed, Where a group of
farmers needing drainage will co-oper-
ate to secure q common outlet a good
one can usually be secured at a cost
commensurate with profitable returns.
There are two considerations es-
sential to good outlet ditch First il
should be of such capacity that 1t will
not run full except for short periods
during spring thaw or after excess
sive rains. Second, II shoul6 h@ deep
enough to allow tie to dischaRwN unto
1t at sufficient fall, above the average
or If possible the highest water line.
This Is not always possible, and IT may
be necessary to have 1.-THE tile empty
near the bottom Of the ditch in which
case submerged outlet is the result
Although this condition reduces the
efficiency of the system, It need not by
any means render 1t fmpractfcable.j
Only that part of the farm, near the
ditch and extending to where a hori-
zontal line from the surface of the
water in the ditch inIersects the grade
line of the tile wiz -enain undrained
until the water subsidies in the ditch.
A system Of tile draining should con-
form as nearly as possible with the
slope of the land and it's natural drain
age which is more or less apparent or
any piece of ground. Where tho land
to be drained is quite level, the type
of system to be installed and the oca-
ton of the drains should be determines
by a preliminary survey. The main
drain should be laid out without any
bends or crooks, but should as nearly |
as possible pass through the lowest
parts Of the field. II this is done, the |
surface drainage will, during periods |
OF highw alter, carry arge quantities OF |
water to the main, which would other@ |
wise have 10 pass through the branches
and the latterals. IL also cheapens the |
cost Of digging. az the tile, may thor |
be laid more nearly parallel with the
surface and. In level land where the /
fall Is scant, increases the grade avail /
able for the latterals.
There are SO many variable factors
entering into the question of planning
q system OF tile drainage, that no aefih-
tie advice applicable to every case can
be given. Every field to be drained
has its own problems, and a system
should bep tanned from a careful study
Of the surface contour, the rate OF
water percolation through the soil. the
depth OF FROST them aximum precipita-
ton during single day, and the drain.
age areas of the sloughs or marshes
From reconsideration of the data gain
ed by an observation of these facts.
system may be planned, that with q
expense will be adequate to
drain the field in question.
Although it appears from these con-
'tderations that every area requires its
own system, especially designed TO
meet its conditions, it may be stated
hat a piece of land uniformly wet and
ow with general slope in one direc-
ion, is adapted to what is known as
he gridiron system. In this system
he branches are parallel to one another
md are often placed equal distances
tpart. Land having a number of
'loughs with good surface drainage in
o these sloughs may often be suff1c-
emily drained by placing a line OF tile
through the sloughs with a few
trenches here and there where need
ID.
Distance Between Drains Varies. !
The distance aparC of drains win de-
lend upon the rainfall, the porosity of
ne soil, and the kind OF crop to be
aised. In localities where truck and
ruit farming Is practiced, and where /,
he drainage must be thorough and ,
apid the lines of tile are often placed /,
. close together as forty Of fifty feet :
Where wheat is the staple crop, the !
rainage need not be SO thorough, and
a gridiron system is used, the drains !
nay be laid two hundred feet apart !
nth Q view to reducing the distance !
etween the drains to one hundred | !.
eet when the system has proved its !
Torth.
The proper depth OF drains IS an i'm
ortant problem to consider In a local.
" where thing has not been practiced
uff1ciently to give much data on the !.
ubject For laterals four feet is con-
ldered deep drainage while from two :
> three feet liz considered shallow :
ne proper depth Of drains depends !,
pom the character of the surface and
&b soils and the amount OF water to
g removed in a given time. If at
epth OF, say three feet. there is an 2