204 REPORT OV OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



The plan <>t" (ho drains here installecl, >vhich hy the way were 

 intemled to benefit ahont .'^0 acres of land, was ontlined on the theory 

 that a few drains ])ro|)crly located, passinfr diafionally across the 

 slojx', would intercept the water from the hiirher land and conduct 

 it to a water course, thus relieving- the more level land of a large 

 volume of seep water and also cutting off the hydrostatic pressure 

 which forces soil water to the surface in the lower and more per- 

 vious portions of the flat. The effect of these drains was marked 

 and immediate, the owner reporting that his best crop was substan- 

 tially increased and that the land, which had been constantly satu- 

 rated with water during the fall, requiring irrigation soon aft(>r the 

 drains were laid. A portion of the wet meadow was seeded to wheat 

 in 11)05 and produced 50 bushels to the acre. 



The salutary effect of these few drains was such that the owner'^ 

 of neighboring lands, seeing their beneficial effects, at once asked 

 our assistance in the laying out of other drains. This was done 

 ujjon the request of several of the neighbors, so that now there is 

 a series of fields in that locality, covering a mile or more in length, 

 which are now drained upon the same general plan. Professor 

 McLaughlin, of the State station, reports that he has in several cases, 

 upon request, gone to surrounding fields to advise upon the best plan 

 of draining lands in that vicinity. 



Regarding the expense of such work, it should be said that at 

 present it is difficult to measure or limit the area which may be 

 beneficially affected by drains located upon the plan before stated. 

 In connection with the case just mentioned it is reported that dur- 

 ing last fall a field lying below any of those which had been drained, 

 which had for twenty years been wet and used only for meadow, 

 was plowed and prepared for wheat and beets for the coming season. 

 This benefit results from the construction of drains upon other lands, 

 and accrues to the owner v>'ithout any expense or effort on his part. 



It should be also stated that the mere interception of Avater from 

 high lands is not sufficient in all cases to meet the difficulty. The 

 water table of these lands has been permanently raised, and the 

 drains do not, as a rule, lower this table below the level of the drains. 

 The irrigation of meadows by flooding causes an accumulation of sur- 

 face water in the depressions and saturates the lower lands. It is 

 in some cases necessary to have drains in these lower places to relieve 

 the land from the excess which comes to those points by direct irri- 

 gation, so that in planning drains both of these points should be 

 kept in view. It should be also observed that the soil which was 

 here drained is admirably adapted to the use of draintile, the sub- 

 soil being a pervious clay which responds quickly to the action of 

 drains, so that for that region tile may be regarded as the most 

 desirable and effective drain. 



