Show OF INAGE much swampy land may be made quite productive WORK IS ONLY FAIRLY BEGUN lands too wet for profitable production of crops should be drained improves soil by making it more porous and friable prepared by the united states department ot of agriculture dy by simple drainage much or of the wet swampy farm land which cannot be ba cultivated lit in its present condition may bo be mado made productive there I 1 Is a also aleo many a piece of cultivated land which la Is not producing what it could be made to do it it were properly drained indeed according to tho the departments specialists drainage in the united states Is only fairly begun and its immense possibilities are but little known farmers bulletin no of the united states department part ment of agriculture discusses this in somo some detail lands that aro are too wet for the most pro flable lable production of crops such as wet level land low spots and the dry sub soils of 0 flat areas on the summits of knolls river and creek bottoms and peat peal hogs bogs should be drained even uplands may often bo be drained with profit especially hillsides hill sides subject to erosion or inclined to be indeed drainage is profitable wherever it Is necessary to the fullest use of tile the land it Is in not uncommon tor for lands too wet for cultivation to produce when drained CO 60 to 70 bushels of corn or oats or from one to one and a halt bales of cotton to the acre on much of the drained land tile the increase of y yield laid I 1 Is a from 25 to per cent and by the increased yield and decreased cost of cultivation the value ol of the and Is often doubled improves the soil drainage improves tho the ab physical condition of the soil by making it more porous and triable friable thus thua stiff soils are made more easy to work the roots of plants are given a greater feeding depth by the lowering of tile the water level and hence the ability of crops to utilize moisture Is increased well drained soils absorb more rainfall than soils thus decreasing erosion and damage by flo floods 0 do drainage warms the soil heat from the sun acts directly upon the soil when excessive moisture to Is re moved by drainage this la is noticeable in the north where the planting season beason Is from one to two weeks eari earlier teron on drained land than on an similar land when the danger of damage by b frost fro a t both in the spring aud and in t the nie fall Is reduced warming ot of the soil eoll also causes the latan k N N fig 11 afield field needing drainage seed to germinate more readily thereby giving a better stand of crops and ausing the plants to grow more promptly drained land can bo be plowed earlier in the spring than land crops can bo be cultivated sooner after a rain and if covered tile drains are arb used instead of open ditches machinery can be used to bettor better advantage and the cost of cultivation decreased health conditions aro are also improved by the ara drainage inage of swamps and standing water the brooding breeding places for mosquitoes are removed with the consequent abolishment of malaria in the locality practical system the most practical drainage system is ono one that to la adequate permanent uses tho ithe least possible land and Is not a hindrance to cultivation tile drains which empty into either open or closed outlets most nearly provide such BUCU a system dy by tho the open ditch system much valuable land Is occupied tho the drainage Is seldom thorough and the ditches become filled and have to bo cleaned out open ditches sometimes occupy as much as ton per cent and frequently five per cent of the area drained thus it Is that tile drains while more expensive to install are generally tho the most economical in the end in laying out a drainage drat nage system the outlet Is the firs consideration first t con aid oration on rolling or hilly lands channels have usually been washed out although they may need to be straightened and cleaned out on low level land it ts Is usually necessary to dig opec ditches and they should be straight and deep since curves burres check chenow the flow of water while in a deep ditch water generally flows more rapidly anil less vegetation Is likely to bo be present the outlets he deep enough to take caro care ot at tile tho flow from branch drains which may necessarily be placed low to secure sufficient clent fall open ditches work well with a drop of four foet feet to the mile although some borne or of necessity havo have no moro more than one toot foot drop in loamy soils subject to freezing the sides aides of the ditch should have a slope of 45 degrees in sandy andy soils a greater slope while la in stiff soils subjected to little freezing a less slope will do outlet ditches should usually follow the natural course coarse of the water although efficiency and economy may necessitate a diversion fro from tho the natural watercourse use of open ditches when the ditch runs through a field the earth should be leveled back from the bank loo so that no more ground than Is necessary will be lost from cultivation when the value of the tha land Is high the open ditch should not bo be abod where it Is practicable to use tile in the middle west ti tiles les as aa wi t 17 b t fig 2 same field after being tile drained largo large as an three feet in diameter are arc frequently q used and being covered over they do not occupy tillable land or divide a field where properly laid there la Is little danger of the tiles illes fill ing and practically no maintenance cost because water runs runa faster through tiles they can be much small er than the open ditch the latter however has an advantage in holding more water after a rain though per perhaps not carrying moro more the farmer is in a position to judge for himself when it Is profitable to use tile |