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Show , PROPER DRAINAGE FOR ROADS Tile Drains Are Much Superior to A Open Ditches or Those Filled With Stone or Gravel. V. m (Prepared by the United States Depart-' Depart-' ment of Agriculture.) $ Open ditches have been used fre- fluently In some of the southern states j for subdralnlng roads through iow, ) flat sections. Ordinarily only one I ditch Is used, and It Is located a few ,4 feet outside of and parallel to the I road. This ditch usually Is made about two feet wide and three to four I feet deep, with vertical banks. The ! material excavated from the ditch Is used to build up the roadbed, and the Burplus water from the side ditches Is turned Into the deep ditch at convenient conven-ient Intervals. The use of such ditches l Good Read Leading to a Farmhouse 'j. , With a Good Stand of Grass on j ! Each Side Very Few Weeds In Ev. Idence. :l ij should be decided upon with enre. There are ditches in the South, within the constal plain, where sand clnys i and Indurated clays occur a few u! Inches underground, that have stood ! with vertical sides since the nilddle If j of the last century. They have been W cleaned repeatedly, and no doubt have h become somewhat enlarged, but con-" con-" I ' Bidering the cost of maintenance and I j the service given, they have been en-I en-I ; tlrely satisfactory. In other soils of I ja gravely nature, however, the sides ji 'of such ditches would not stand, and the cost of keeping them clean would I ' be excessive. In certain localities the flhen ditch soon will become Obstruct- m by the bunks breaking away and $ by the growth of vegetation, and Is $ very seldom economical In the long 'I run. I . . Ditches filled with broken stone or gravel sometimes are used as a sub-f sub-f stitute for the tile drains. These have '4 been used in nil sections of the coun-1 coun-1 try, and when properly constructed - usually have proved satisfactory for f; a considerable period of time. When $ such ditches are used It Is common 4 practice to place one on each side of the road Immediately under the open ditches. They are excavated to a ( depth of two to three feet with ver- tloal sides and usually ar made about I eighteen Inches at the top or Just I wide enough for a man to work In j them conveniently. To be effective they must have a uniform grade and be carried to r suitable outlet j 1 Tile drains In general are much su- perior to either open ditches or 4 ditches filled with stone for subdraln-J subdraln-J Ing roads, and though generally more If expensive than either open or stone I drains, they usually can be construct- ed at comparatively small cost. As a l rule the tile need never be over six t'i Inches In diameter, while for ordinary i f conditions a diameter of four Inches a' Is sufficient. ' H |
