The Little River news., 1916-06-07
SOIL AND SOIL FERTILITY
By De r. Hungcrford, Assistant Az ronomist, University of Arkansas.
No. 4. Farm Drainage.

'OACAiiic', oiltN6l Sily Ol Al heilSd0.
 The question of retaining the sWampy lands of this state has been occupying the attention of lawmakers. farmers and business men for many years. Several important drainage districts have been organized and pro- posed which when completed will change hundreds of square miles of land that is now unproductive into the most productive land in the South. These are well known facts and no one attempts to beittle or deny the value of such reclamation projects in increasing the states re- sources. 1t IS not so we'll known, however, that the yield on thousands Of acres of land that is now being Harmed could be greatly increased by adequate drainage. Almost every farm has some land that is too wet for the highest crop production. Too much water is as injurious to crops as not enough. Many farmers realize that parts of their farm do not pro- duce as much as would be expected.
 
 trouble may be due to poor drainage.
 How Drainage Benefits the Soil.
 Drainage enables the plant roots 10 penetrate into the soil. The plant roots will not penetrate soil that is saturated with water, so if the sub soil is too wet all the plant food that 1t contains is unavailable When crops ere planted on poorly drained land the root systems are shallow " " .a.ssp-1,. drought comes the surface dries out quickly and the crop suffers. In well-draned soil. on the other hand the roots go down deeper into the sub-soil which dr.es out more slowly and the crop is able 10 resise a temporary drought
 A well drained soil warns up 0uic'i. or in the spring because the heat from the sun is not used ID in evapo- rating surplus water Crops can therefore be planted sooner which is an important point in a region c. summer droughts. Where land is well dra1ned it is possible 10 cultiva-e quickly after every rain thereby dc .stroying weeds while they are young.
 The physical condition Of soils is much improved by drainage. This la due partly to the fact that the surface dries out rapidly thus promoting graz ulation and partly to the deep rootiag and more abundant growth of plants. Drainage induces better aaratiOn be- cause as the water drains down into the sub-soil air is drawn down to take its place The air thus drawn into the soil helps make plont food aval1. ble, promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria assists In the formation of hunts and destroys toxic substances or poisons that may exist there.
 praiSage With Open pitches.
 Open ditches provide the best means of drainage where large volumes of water are 10 be taken care of as in the recls nation of large swaIapy areas. They can also be used to ad, vantage when it is necessary 10 pro, vide an outlet for water in small depression. Open ditches can be con. structed more cheaply than under. ground drainage systems, but are less permanent and mt be frequently re. paired. They are unsightE, occupy land that could otherwise be used for growing crops, and, as usually con structed, provide a place for weeds
 When it is necessary to use open ditches for financial and ot5er req sons, they should be constructed with wide siopng banks gotten into sod so they can be moved foC hay and to keep down the weeds. A good form of open ditch is the "d9al' furrow This is adapted to land that l5 nearly flat The field is plowed in narrow beds with a deep dead" furrow be- tween the higher Intervening spaces.
 -;,e Drainage.
 The drainage of farm land can be obtained most efficently and perma nently by means of tile laid under round. Two kinds of tile are in use -clay and concrete. Clay tile is used more extensively, being usually cheaper and more easI.y handled Concrete tile is satisfactory, however, if it can be obtained as cheaply For making concrete tile rich proportion of cement and good sand should ps used and they should be mixed as wet as is practicable. The proper depth for laying the tile varies with the tex. ture of the soil and the distance the lines are apart. The depth usually varies from two to two and . haN feet. being laid shAllow ia clay ss1ll .aod desOsr in. sanly lad.