White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-10-23
Drainage of Land AS
Important AS Irrigation
BY L. J. Smith, Professor of Agrlcul.
tural Engineering, State College
of Washington


of Washington
Over 10000 farms in the State OF
Washington are now enjoying the ben,
efits of drainage, and there are TO-
100000 acres of land in the United
States that are in need of drainage.
The subject of drainage should be
of interest to Washington farmers,
because of the large number of farms
that have increased production by
drainage, and because the last census
report tells of 1923 farms needing
drainage to a greater or less extent.
These farms amount to over $4,000
acres of land, and are in nearly every
county of the state.
1t is curious fact, however, that it
is easier to interest land owners in
expanding money each year for put
ting water on land to increase produc-
ton than it is to get them to pay out
money once to remove superfiuous wa
ter which will also greatly increase
production, and the value of their
lands.
Farm drainage dates back over 200
years when tile drains were discov.
cred in the magic gardens" of mon
astery in France. There is no record
as to how long they had been used
England and Holland have practiced
Jroin for mona thop 1E0 vaaro and
tile drainage was first practiced in
this country in New York State in
1885.
Tile under drainage, properly plan
ned and installed, is permanent i'm
provement on the farm. There are
many benefits to be derived from land
drainage. Drainage removes excess
water, thus lowering the water table
warns the soil. Wet soil is cold, ant
cold soil holds back termination. L
also enables the plants to develop
deep root systems, and therefore tt
resist drought to much greater ex
tent. Drainage makes available the
richest soil on the farm. Drained
land almost invariably produces great
err crops than the surrounding land
1t increases the capillary supply o
moisture and improves the structure
of the, soil, facilitating cultivation; i
permits better air circulation and as
sists in the liberation Of plant food
it assists the decay Of vegetable mai
ter in the soil, and aids in nitrifica
ton. Drainage assists in preventing
erosion and soil washing by the re
moval Of excess water; it puts tn
soil in condition to work earlier in tn
season, and lengthens the groWin
season from one week to over
month; it prevents the rise of alkal
and stops heaving and the freezin
out of plants. Drained land will re
sist drought better than PARTIAL
drained soil and the draining Of ist
| lated small wet spots makes 1t pos
sible to work the whole field at on
time.
In general, drainage improves tn
sanitary conditions in the country an
promotes greater healthfulness on tn
farm. Many low country areas hav
been malarial and unhealthy until tn
farms have been we'll drained. 1t ha
also been found that drainage in tn
Palouse country often taps springs 6
the foot of billy slopes that give W;
ter to the stock throughout the no
dry months.
Whenever a farmer properly IL
stalls a system of drainage over POI
ton of his wet land, he invariably
anxious to complete his drainage, 70
he finds that his yields are increase
from rs to SO per cent In extrem
cases, drainage has been found
increase the yield 100 per cent. Vi
der such conditions, farmer canne
afford to leave his wet land undraine,
Marion Davies is playing 9TH
Lights of Old Broadway" with Tedd
Roosevelt as a boy and Weber an
Fields as couple of kids. In "Littl
Old New York" she appeared wit
Fulton and the first steamboat.
l found Marion bordering lugubr
ously on the set the other day. "Whs
the public is going to ask pretty son
4 a. - a.. nav IL