Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-03-02
Interesting Papers and Discussions
Mayor Valentine Welcomes
Delegates to Webster
City.
AN INTERESTED AUDIENCE
Mayor Valentine Says the Drainage
Brains of Iowa are Present at
This Convention. ,
(From Fridays Daily.)


Elmo hall was we'll filled yester-
day afternoon with an interested au-
dience, not alone of delegates from
away, but with farmers and men in
terested in this, one of the greatest
movements-better drainage for
town, city and country.
The first number on the program
was an address of welcome by May
or Valentine. He said that we had
begun as people to get over the old
idea that drainage required only
Drawn; we were beginning to see
that not only Drawn but brain was a
requisite. He believed that the
drainage brains of Iowa were pres
ent at this convention, and in be-
half of the Commercial League and
the citizens of this city, he wished
to further compliment the guests up
on their choice of city and choice
of a president. He looked forward
to the time when Webster City
would be as prominent city as De-
troit, Mich, on account of the lars-
est clay product industry in Amer
lea. Then would the name of H. M.
Sparboe be on par with Ford and
his runabout of Detroit!
This address drew forth a burst Of
laughter and applause, and President
Sparboe arose and thanked the may
or for his kind words of welcome.
The next number was one left over
from the forenoon session, discus
sion led by J. M. Wells of Nevada,
of F. o. Nelson's paper upon "Plan-
ming and Building Farm Drainage
Systems" which had been given just
before noon.
Mr.. Wells said in part that the
old idea of farm drainage was to
hire man with strong spade and
q strong back and turn him loose
upon farm. The first requisite for
good farm drainage is good out
let, for without a good outlet, no
system of drainage is going to be
effective. Good feet are also a nee
cessity to good horses and if farm
is not well drained, horses feet are
going to suffer. He approached this
subject from a different standpoint
than that taken by Mr.. Nelson in
the forenoon, whose fine paper was
from a technical viewpoint. He adj
vocated that engineers when COM
pleting their plat of drainage should
deliver to their client complete
chart of the work as planned in the
beginning. Many farms which were
tiled years ago, will have to be re-
tiled in the years to come accord
ing to modern methods. He would
use nothing smaller than inch
tile. We now confine ourselves to
draining low land; the future may
see the work of higher land taken
up but that as yet is some distance
in the future. Mr.. Wells here show
ed blue print of half section with
nine miles of thing. Iowa land is
too valuable to stop at the cost OF
thing perfectly.
A spirited discussion followed in
which questions were fired at Mr.
Wells regarding depth, size of tile
etc. Four feet was the preferred
depth although there was some diff
ference of opinio4. upon this. The
lively discussion was interrupted by
President Sparboe, who suggested
that if the gentlemen had not finish
ed they could finish the discussion
in the alley after the session wa;
overt"
A question here asked by Mr.. Per
kins called r. G. Austin of this cit!
to the front, in regard to the cos
of thing plot of eighty acres. HI
stated that a fiat eighty, with sma!
sloughs, with most of the slope ly
ing east and west, tile rods apart
average 4 feet deep, and no deel
cuts, cost recently $4,000 for tn
thing. In his opinion the average
eighty tiled four feet deep with fiv'
inch tile would cost approximate
$1,000.
Here another. point Of dissentiol
was raised by H. w. Booknow o
Grinnell, regarding depth and size o
tile but President Sparboe, inexoy
able, ended the discussion and hur
ried on to the next number, whic
was a paper upon Vertical Drain
aee'' by Prof. John T. Stewart, G
University Farm, st. Paul, MINI