Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-12-28
Hy PROF. HOMER "a. DERR.
South Dakota State College.

The impression prevails that lana
must be very swalnpy to need drain
ing. Ii is not in wet lands only that
tile drains are a necessity, for they
are equally as beneficial in dry lands
that are subject to flooding at lines;
for a good crop can be grown on a
we'll tiled field of this kind in time
Of drouth, the soil being mellow in
stead of hard and baked, on account of
the ~aeration 1t receives by means OF
the ...e drain.
In laying out a drain, remember that
no person can determine grades with
sufficient accuracy by eye, especially
If the land be quite level. A few trials
with a spirit level will cure n man
of his conceit on this subject. The hui
man eye will see straight but it will
not see level without a guide. 1t
forms conclusions by comparisons:
and the lines of upland, of forest tops
and distant hills, all conspire to con
fuse the judgment, SO that it is quite
common for a stream to appear to the
eye to run up hill. even when it has q
quick current. 1t the land owner pro
poses to act as his own surveyor, the
first thing he will want TO use is some
kind of levellng Instrument or CON
trivance by which he may ascertain
the variations Of the surface of his
land. A common way to get at grades
Is to guess at them. bitches are
opened where there appears to be a
descent; and if there is water running,
the rise is estimated by its current;
If there is no water rising in the drain.
a bucketful is occasionally put in to
guide the laborers IN their work. Only
those who have tested the accuracy of
their judgment as to levels OF land
can at all appreciate the deceitfulness
of appearances on this point. In some
cases tile drains will give good re-
suits when laid on a grade Of only w
inches per 100 feet; but the bottom,
should be straight and free from de-.
%pressions, Or the latter will fill with
sand and the drain become entirely
useless. If the land very plainly
slopes the grades will not trouble, I'M.
less they are too steep. Find the low
est point on your land, and look below
you on the next farm and see if there
is an outlet. If there is a proper and
sufficient outlet, your task Is easy and
!: plain; but If the land is a wet slough,
I you had better go and interest your
t ~neighbor, and go down across his farm
to find a sufficient outlet. If your
neighbor is not agreeable, a suggestion
|. Of the amount of water you expect to
turn upon him my help him to change
I his mind.
l. After you have the outlet once es.
4 t%ablished. begin at the lowest place
, and drive a stake each SO feet UP
5 across the land up into all of the wet
. places. Some of these places may
I naturally drain in different directions,
/ but It you can get them all into one
/, system OF drainage, 1t is better to dc
l. 80.
l 1t Is hardly ever advisable to put a
j. drain in the bottom of a slough, be
cause the top soil is sure to wash To-
ward the lowest place; and a drain
placed IN each side will usually pre-
) vent It. At any rate, you will never
have the trouble with the two drain!
on the sides that you are almost Ger
tain to experience with one placed Il
thu bottom.
Take levels from the lowest place t.
all Of the stakes. and find out how
muchAbove the outlet the lowest stalk
In the farthest hollow is. You nov
have three fixed conditions; the outlet
the distance. and the height OF tn
i bottom Of the iarthest hollow, TIL
d other two conditions, the depth TO d,
> In the hollow and the grade. can b.
q varied to suit the surface conditions
q. Ie the hollow 4 deep and t1e waite
: readily COMES toward II, the tile nee
! not b laid very deep. say about afteel
inches under cover. This latter conc
ton is advisable only when Y VII
saye much deer diccir. IN the hiKhe