134 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. XIII, No. 7, 



of the state, just as essential and pemianent an asset as the soil 

 itself. Unquestionably a large amount of scnace is derived 

 from this body of water. It is, I believe, equally certain that 

 an immense amount of this resource is going annually to waste, 

 and that by its proper utilization the wealth of the state could be 

 very greatly increased. 



"While it is not my purpose to go into detail regarding all 

 phases of this problem, I may call attention to the service of 

 water in connection with agriculture, where we have a large 

 amount of utilization, and where there is perhaps less of necessity 

 for changes in method of operation. For service in production 

 of crops it is necessary that the annual rain-fall be absorbed in 

 the soil, that a certain amount be retained for support of plant 

 life during intermittent periods of dryness, and to a large extent 

 this is met in the ordinary methods of culture, especially in con- 

 nection with systems of tile drainage which are now largely in 

 vogue. The practical necessities in preservation of soils is ad- 

 mirably stated by Professor Chamberlain in a recent article in 

 Popular Science Monthly,* which I take the liberty to quote: 



"The key to the problem lies in due control of the water which falls on 

 each acre. This water is an asset of great possible value. It should be the 

 habit of every acre-owner to compute it as a possible value, saved if turned 

 where it will do good, lost if permitted to run away, doubly lost if it carries 

 also soil values and does destructive work below. Let us repeat the story of 

 its productive paths. A due portion of the rainfall should go through the 

 soil to its bottom to promote soil-formation there; a due portion of this 

 should go on into the under-drainage, carrying harmful matter; a due por- 

 tion should go again up to the surface carrying solutions needed by the 

 plants; a due portion should obviously go into the plants to nourish them; 

 while still another portion should run off the surface, carrying away a little 

 of the leached soil matter. There are a multitude of important details in 

 this complex of actions, but they must be passed by; the great features are 

 clear and imperative." 



It may be noted in passing that this ser\dce of water by no 

 means affects its further service in other w^ays, but that the mere 

 complete the retention of the soil, the more equal the distribution 

 of the flow, the more perfect is its availibility for other purposes. 

 My understanding of the effect of tile drainage is that it provides 

 for the greater absorptive power of the soil, so that a larger portion 

 of the rainfall goes into the soil, reducing the surface wash, pro- 

 viding for the retention of organic matter, and regulating the 

 outflow. 



With regard to the utilization of the waters of the state for 

 power, it ajopears that there is opportimity for an immense de- 

 vclo]jment. There are hundreds of sites where some considerable 

 amoimt of water could readily be impounded, and power for 

 electric-lighting and running of machinery be developed on a large 



*July, 190S, Vol. LXIII, p. 5. 



