The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-19
Material for Cndcr-Drainage Within
Reach of All.

What we need IN the SOii IoT Inc
success OF crops is not water, but
moist air-that is air penetrating the
soil, every particle of which retains
a slight film of moisture. With water
standing too near the surface, n air
is shut out, aud the soil is made cold,
for plants need a proper mount OF
heat suited to each crop, and the
oxygen Of the air penetrating the soil
is essential to the life of the roots.
Hence, if water stands permanently
too neal the surface, the rainfall can
not sink rapidly into the soil and
the surface gets flooded.
Hence, in such. soils it is necessary
10 sink the water level in the soil
down to a safe distance from the sur
face. open bitches certainly have
SOME effect, but as commonly con
~.tructcd, with II ridge Of the earth
thrown out, stopping the flow from
the surface into the ditch, they are a
very ineffective means for drainage.
Open bitches would be more effective
If the banks were made with q gen
eral slope TO the ditch and the space
between the ditcnes pioWed to &
slight ridge in the middle, thus max
Ing a series Of ridges across the field
But ever this mainly takes care OF
the Immediate fail on the surface ant
does very little towards the low
ering Of the permanent water
table in the soil. T hen. too. opel
bitches, with a turning row OF
each side, become the nurseric
Of all sorts OF weeds and foul growth
and the harbor for insects in winter
TO damage the crops the fOilOWin.
season. They make cultivation NOR,
difficult and expensive, and il tn
space between is plowed, as it is yer,
commonly done, round and roun
from the outside, the middle OF tn
,1lt C0nn hacnYpoS a ha Gin to hold u9
ter and keep it from getting into tn
ditches.
The only effective way to drai
LAND is by taking the water from VI
der the surface deep enough I
make a general lowering of tn
height in which water would matt
rally stand permanently in the sol
Taking the standing water down low
er lets the air to the soil and warn
It up, and il accompanied by dee
blowing enable the land to rid itSe
rapidly Of the rainfall by giving it
chance to sink into the earth The
capillary attraction will bring II
moisture for coating the particles 4
the soil, and we have the neede
moist air instead Of standing waite
On low, fat lands. where the waite
table is too near the surface, unde
drains are essential, and even on o,
red clay hills under-drainS may pls
a very important function.
The trouble with the hills is tn
the rain waters may get away t.
fast, and what is important in the
Improvement, is to retain more Of t
rain to ward off the effects Of drout
that are becoming more and mo
frequent. With the shallow plowil
common on the hills, our SUNNI
floods must go down hill, since t
rain cannot sink into the hard cl
below. and if the rainfall is hea
the shallow-plowed surface gets in
a semi-liquid state and goes down h
with the water, and a gall or a gu
is the result.
The effort to stop this with t
old-time terrace IA with it's we
growth, and it's ditch behind to ca,
the water off, is a oOr makesh
and the ditch often becomes a gul
and the land is still robbed of I
water that should be kept in it. 7
shallow-plowed surface soon dries
and there is little moisture left in
clay below to supply any capill;
moisture.
The broad Mangum terrace ba
is certainly an Improvement. as
aims to spread the water out alb
the terrace, and not to run it il