New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1921-09-07
INVESTIGATING TILE DRAINS

INVESTIGATING TILE DRAINS
Disintegration to Be Overcome BY
Use of Materials Immune to
Harmful Salts.
prepared by Office Of Publications.
University Farm. st. PAUL.
The Minnesota Agricultural Expert
ment station, the State Department Of
Drainage and Waters, and the United
States Department of Agriculture have
agreed upon a plan Of cooperation
for thorough investigation Of prob
lens affecting the use of tile for
drainage in Minnesota. This investi-
cation will continue inquiry into the
causes Of the failure of tile drains
which has been conducted in south
western Minnesota during the last two
summers by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, assisted to some
extent by the state drainage depart
tment and by local agencies. It will
continue also, exact tests and COM
PARSONS to determine what minimum
degree Of concentrations of harmful
salts involves danger to tile. The in
vestigation will be extended, however,
to include the more exact determine.
ton Of the boundaries Of territory
within which these deleterious condi.
tions are found, the mapping and
eventual publication of these bound
aries, and, finally, experiments to de-
termine the best materials, mixtures
of materials, and methods to use in
the manufacture of drain tile in order
to secure immunity from disintegra-
ton.
Facts brought out by the investiga-
tons Of the last two summers seemed
to Justify further researches. AS a
result, on the joint request of the state
drainage commissioner and the expert
ment station, the 1921 legislature
granted the experiment station an ap-
preparation of $4,000 a year for the
next two years to extend these in
vestigations.
The federal department has assign
ed to the work d. G. Miller, senior
drainage engineer. Mr.. Miller is the
United States departments specialist
in concrete disintegration and has
conducted the Investigations Of the
last two summers. The project from
now on will be administered jointly
by H. B. Roe, drainage engineer for
the experiment station, and Mr.. Mil
Ter. Mr.. Miller will have executive
charge Of active operations. The state
drainage commission Ter by virtue 81
his office directs all regulatory activi-
ties affected by the problem and will
aid in publicity and in an advisory
capacity.
A special laboratory in the Engineer
ing building at University Farm is
now ready, with trained chemical
engineer in charge of necessary tests
Mr.. Miller is about to take the field
assisted by junior drainage engineer
of the federal department The drain
age engineers and boards in the state
have been notified that the depart
ment is ready to give service. Cir
culars of instruction relative to the
submission of samples for tests, and
analyses may be secured on applica-
ton to the state commissioner OF
drainage, OLD Capitol building, or to
the drainage laboratory, University
Farm, st. Paul.
The general plan contemplates ex-
tending active operations to the ex-
animation of soil waters so far as
poccih1o along tho 1inoa If all nrn.
posed new public tile bitches, and,
to limited extent, on such private
projects as are associated with
other projects of the experiment sta
ton.
The primary purpose Of these in
designations is to insure to the farm
ing public, the permanency of drain
age works. Present indications are
that the affected area is relatively
small and that there are undoubtedly
large tracts In the state in which
either claygo cement tile properly
made may be safely used It is felt
that to outline definitely the limited
areas in which exists soil conditions
harmful to any type of tile will event.
ually benefit not only the agricultural
interests but related commercial in
terests as we'll.
All interested in tile drainage de-
velopment are urged to cooperate
wherever possible in this work and to
make use Of this new branch Of pub
lie service.