Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-14
FARMERS MUST
IMPROVE SOIL BY
PROPER DRAINAGE

Editor Atlanta journal: In, a re-
cent issue of The Journal appeared
a very interesting interview which
one of your enterprising re-
porters ELECTED from Judge Newt
Morris. of Cobb county, on the
drainage of land with a view to MAX
ing it. in the best sense of the
term, farming land"
Judge Norris spoke by the card,
for he had a large tract of land,
previously unavailable for farming.
brought into high productive con-
dition by systematic drainage.
There are many subjects to which
farmers should give close personal
attention in these days so full of ap-
peals for better results with all
crops. OF all those compelling SUBJ
jects. there is not one that is supe-
rior in Importance to bringing into
ready use, with infinitely better re-
suits, land now under plough. and
large acreage impossible of cultiva-
ton because water-logged or near
ly so.
This is far from being a new
LdTIIl tOplC. Lie pldCllC0 HAS UCCH
recognized and the necessity for soil
drainage conceded. Farmers have
drain their lahd. They have had
farms and plantations ditched from
one, end to the other. The open
much valuable space; then there is
the annual expense of cutting weeds
and brush from the sides of the
bitches. and the additional expense
fN1n oyn tyNrr L, toIo
Others constructed blind bitches i. e.,
an under-drain plan which called for
surfacing the bottom of the ditch
with rocks, then covering with what
might be termed a rough arch
made Of twelve-inch boards. The
almost universal rule was that the
work was done without the sugges-
ton. much less the personal pres
ence. of a capable surveyor. Result,
as rule: The object in view was
The. economical policy to adopt
and put into practice is to have a
skilled drainage engineer come and
look over the land and make a pre-
cost of the proposed work can be ar
rived at.
I have had work Of that kind done,
so 1 am somewhat familiar with the
cost and the highly beneficial results
that cam eOf it. sklied drsinag &c.
variably tells a golden story. =.
Are Object Lessons
A number of years ago, Mr.. Peter
Henderson, of New York, seed pro-
Queer and scotsman. deteCmined to
drive over to one of his neighbors for
an hours business chat Within a
short distance of one Of his extern
siVe seed farms was a farm Sf 100
to $50 acres. At the big gate CT that
farm, he noticed young man who
seemed to be the tenant in posses
sion, He drove UP to the gate, and:
saluting the young man, inquired
whether he had purchased or rented
the farm. The young man said he
had rented with view to purchase.
He. stated the terms offreed him by
Henderson asked why he did not
close in with the offer. The young
man, pointing to a broad meadow,
replied: THAT is my objection to
the. place. can not bring that piece
Of land into cultivation"
Mr.. Henderso remarked that that
difficulty could be easily disposed of.
He babe the young man to be on the
lookout for him inside of an hour
or so. When he returned. he walked
aver and inspected the meadow. He
had the young man get in his buggy.
A piece of land was pointed out, and
Mr.. Henderson asked the young man
how the land looked to him. He re-
piled "Just splendid" Mr. Hender-
son said: This land was a meadow
exactly like the one over at the
farm you have rented. I had it tile
drained under the personal direction
of a drainage engineer. 1t is the
very best piece Of land on this large
body Of very superior land.
The young man said he was con-
WINGED, and would borrow the money,
if necessary, to have the work done
at once. Mr.. Henderson advised him
to call on the owner of the farm
and close the purchase deal immedi-
ately. That was done, the meadow
was drained, and the young man soon
had one of the best farms in all that
region of country.
Indulge me, if you please. This
subject is so far-reaching in it's i'm
portance. 1 wish to acquaint your
readers with a number of cases in
which systematic drainage proved to
be of exceeding great value.
A field in the black prairie belt of
Alabama had not been cultivated in
years because too wet. 1t was tile
drained. Thereupon, it produced one
bale of cotton per acre, and repaid
the entire cost of the work the first
year The following year, the field
yielded fifty bushels of corn per
acre-twice the quantity produced on