Ellsworth American., 1915-08-18
DRAINAGE.


q simmons, Professor Of Agronomy
IGeofTS.s, oT.,meTs' m week Course, university Of
Maine. 1875
when to drain. Land drainage il
..r,oval of the surplus water from tbs
", "a the surface Of the soil with sufii-
' w., r,pidity and efficiency to fit the land
~ ~ the successful production Of useful
" This surplus water may be from
elsf .a;c excessive rainfall, from seepage
watef from higher land, or from
springs. a.,
=. r,owth Of plants known a. water low
.,.nts wet condition OF land in early
smer. absence OF useful field plants,
"a the condition OF sourness in the soil.
Effect OF drainage. The effect upon
-. land following the application Of a
,,o,ourh system is quite apparent in the
...,,,s that follow. Surplus water is re-
mored. thus preventing evaporation from
~. urtace. Evaporation from the sur
,,,s counteracts the effect OF the suns
~, in warming up the soil, the result be-
;ns that the seeds in the soil will not
h.vs sufficient heat to germinate early in
,he season and that plants in the ground
will not start to grow until the growing
| season is far along.
sprpius water also fills the pore space in
the soil, thus cutting on the supply OF air
IA the roots. Drainage removes this sur
uu. allowing the needed air to get to the
roots and to the organisms In the soil
The freeing of the soil from the acid
laden, stsgnsnt water improves the
sanitary condition Of the soil and al
lows the growth Of plants that are affected
In detrimental way by acid soil.
C. Kinds and relative efficiency OF
drsins. The first classification OF drains
would be: Surface and underground
drains. Surface drains are usually more
easily constructed and will take care oi
. greater volume Of water ct the least firs,
cost; but while the first cost 10 less, the
cost Of maintenance is greater than the
better forms OF underground drains.
Weeds usually grow along the open
ditch, and the space left without being
planted is wasted and besides the slope oil
the ields causes an undue loss OF time In
cultivating the fields in small irregular
areas
Underground drains are subdivided ac-
cording to tho material used to conduct
the water away through the bitches.
Three poles laid so as to leave an open
space between them and buried beneath
the surface have been used for temporary
drains.
Stones thrown loosely into q ditch OF
laid so as to form an open conduit q few
inches across, after being covered, form q
more permanent and more efficient drain
The best underground drainage material
when all things are considered is the land
tile. Land tiles are hard burned clay
tubes ordinarily one foot In length, vary
ing in diameter from one to twenty inches.
The most common tiles usedIon the farm
are from four to eight inches in diameter
The water enters 1t the joints between the
tiles and is carried along BY gravity. The
fall may vary from ono inch to any num-
Der OF inches in one hundred feet. Six
inches in one hundred feet carries away
the water very nicely.
The depth ofthe draiu tile Is important.
II neec not be below frost line II 1t has
sumcient fall, because water from the
'ou above Is caught by freezing. thus
shutting Oh the supply OF water before
tae water in the drain becomes frozen.
The water is In this way allowed to drain
iTay leaving the tie clear. 1t should be
below reach OF the plow, and under ordi-
nary soil conditions two and one hail
'set deep is desirable. Under ordinary
conditions four-inch tile for laterais and
hom ,ue eight inches for mains should
ssfvs the purpose.