The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-07-13

First, he must take his new land
as he finds it; if arid, ne will know
that the underground drains are
small, because they have not been
called upon to carry but limited
amount of rain, the surface is hard
and dry, heavy rain soon turns this
top soil to mud, but he also finds that
it also dries out in a short time. This
proves that natures underground
drains are open, working free and
ample for that amount of water. Ma
ture has shown him her capacity. He
plows his land; no consideration is
given by him to natures warning, or
that this land was made to support
grass and save on II or 20 inches of
rainfall. The underground drains are
built by nature to handle that amount
No consideration or thought is given
to the fact that the soil breathes; no
attention is given to the bubbles of air
coming from the ground as he pours
his water thereon; no thought is given
to the fact that his land is expelling
its breath, that as soon as the under
channels or drains take away the sur
plus water, that new, clean, life-giv-
ing air will replace the waters as they
flow away underground giving life
to his land and health to his crop
ts.No thought is given to whether
he is exceeding the rainfall or pouring
so much water on his land
that the underground drains are over
loaded and unable to drain his land
or allow the air to enter to sweeten
the soil, or give life to the roots of
his crop. No thought is given by him
to the fact that nature has his well
fare in mind; that it takes air and
water to support life; that if he fills
the land with water to the extent that
no air can enter, his land will sour,
become water-logged and die; that
the water he has poured upon his soil
can get away only by evaporation;
that it becomes dead, sinking water,
souring the plant life; that with
standing water evaporation causes the
remaining water to become a stronger
solution of mineral salt until nothing
can live, and his farm becomes a bar
rem, unproductive salt grass pasture.
Means Draining of Land
To drain land in any stage of the
above conditions is a simple matter.
If blood congests in the human sys-
tenn it shows on the surface; so if !
the underground drains in land be-
come clogged, the water congests and
shows on the surface. Open up the
drainage system nature has provided
and the land will clean itself. If ma
lures drains are too small, the pres
sure from above will enlarge them
within a short time to meet the re-
quired flow, but as it requires con-
slant attention to maintain health in |
the human system, also constant at |
SSANiCii 10 AONuiiCQ iI Tie start Willie /
nature is charging her drains to meet
this new condition. This pressure
from above is steadily charging the
outlet, sitting soil, pebbles and sand
If channel becomes blocked, it must
be opened until the water from your
shows by an increased flow
of the underground drains nature has
provided, that adequate breathing
system is in force, that the water set
Ting in the soil is draining into ma
lures drains, and as it settles, the
breath of life is flowing after it, en-
tering your land and enriching your
crop.
If you are honest, and if you de-
serve the full cooperation of nature,
evel your land so that your irrigation
water will cover it, build your waste
iitches so all the water will come off
your land clean, leaving no pools to
'vaporate, depositing the salts therein
from year to year until the
'oil becomes sour, alkalied and unpro-
luctive. Therefore, see That yourl
trains are open and working free;
hat no low spots (catch basins) are
N your land; that your waste bitches
ire clean. These conditions, Mr..
Farmer, show that your land is alive
md crop-producing- You can flood
t foot deep if you are a water-hog,
md you will not hurt your crop, pro-
'iding always that you stop irrigating
'etween floods long enough to let :
our land get its breath.
These questions, the farmer will !
ay, are plain. Alkali can be seen;
he fact that the land is wet is also !
lain. What we want to know is, how /
o change that condition. The vital {
uestion is: How can we continue to '
arm our land and at the same time
emove the alkali and the evcess wa {
err therefrom? These choked under \
round drains speak for themselves; {
hey tell you their conditions Open &
hem, and nature will drain the land t