Williams news., 1916-10-19
TILE DRAINING MEETS FAV0F
Wisconsin Highway Commission Out lines Plan for improvement of
 Wet Spots in Roads.

CBy the WISCONSIN HIGHWAY COM
 MISSION.)
 Most of the springy places or sink holes in roads are due to two causes Lack of drainage in the side d.tches and second, and probably the greater cause, lack of drainage beneath the surface. In other words, the under ground water flows so close to the surface of the road that there is not sufficient hard crust to hold up the travel, and the whole road surface cuts through and becomes bottomless. Deepening the ditcheS will help, inaS much as they will help get the sur {; ce water off the road into the ditches, and will carry it away, if the ditches are properly dug. But no mat ter how deep the side ditcheS are made (within limits of safety to traveD, they will not catch any great part of the underground water, as it flows just so far below the surface wherever the surface is.
 In the case of Springy places on flats or near marshes, the road should be raised as much as money permits, the side ditches deepened and made with an even grade so that they discharge to some outlet. Down the center of the road, as deep as you can get it and still get an outlet, should be laid line of four or six-inch land tile. Inverted sod or burlap should be placed over the tile joints. The trench for this should be dug with ordinary tiling tools to an even grade. It is much better if the trench is back-flled with clean crushed stone or clean stoney gravel. These things being done, you will be astound- ed at the improvement in conditions next spring and in all wet times. The three inches in 100 feet, if it is possible to get it, the more the better, though it will flow with a fall of as little as one inch in 100 feet, if well laid. If the trench described above is filled with rock or coarse gravel, results are se- cured, but tile is much better.
 The short spring holes, on hills usually, should be treated by opening good ditches at each side so the sur face water flows off readily, and then in the shoulder about ten feet from the center of the road should be laid four or six-inch tile at a depth of at least three feet below the center of the road. This tile should be placed on the edge of the road toward the side from which the underground water comes (the side of the road on which the land is high esD.
 The trench should be back-filled with Sfnnn UroUa1 and if fhiS ic well done so the tile runs freely, you will be surprised to see the amount of water it will discharge, and the i'm provement in the road during all wet seasons. In exceptional cases, the tile should be placed on both sides of the road, but usually line of tile on the high side will intercept the under ground flow and lower the water level enough to save the road. Filling stone in sink holes until the bottom is reached will usually improve condi- tions, but the expense of this method of fixing a sink hole is usually very much greater than tiling it, and the results are not as good, because it does not remove the cause which produces the bad spot, while tile does.
 Four-inch unglazed field tile is worth from 3 to 5 cents per foot; six inch from 4 F to cents per foot; four inch glazed sewer pipe with bell is worth from to 10 cents per foot six-inch from 10 to 14 cents per foot. Prices vary with quality desired, kind of delivery and local profit. Your local dealer can give you prices.
 AS for surface drainage, the only safe rule is to grade the road so the water will run promptly from the sur face of the road into the ditches, and to so grade the ditches that water will not stand at any point, but flow rapid ly along the ditches and away to some natural outlet. Standing water (except in some cases on marshes) is evidence of lack of care in making and main- taining the ditches, and a sink hole or springy place is an absolute indication that both side ditches and tile under drain are very badly needed.