Tile Drainage. 105 



Mr. Nicolai. — I have had the same experience as Mr. Good- 

 rich, in regard to my neighbors accusing me of throwing 

 away my money; also in regard to the fact that after I commenced 

 to tile I did not stop until every foot of my land that needed it was 

 tiled. I have tiled about sixty acres now, and I have noticed that 

 all the men in our section, after they have once commenced it, can 

 not find a stopping place until every foot is dry, and that is very 

 good evidence that it pays. 



Mr. Wing. — I have a neighbor who began laying tiles, and his 

 father thought he was crazy. He came out from tovm afterwards 

 and saw the crop of clover and the wheat growing on the land, 

 and he turned the tables on the boy. He says, " Joe, this ought 

 to have been done long ago." 



Mr. Nicolai. — There is one very great advantage with tiled land, 

 and that is its early use in the spring. I notice that my tiled 

 land is ready to work a great deal sooner than ordinary upland, 

 because the tile is at work all winter where there is no frost under- 

 neath, and just as quick a's the frost is out, your land is dry and 

 you can go right to work on it and put in your crop. 



Mr. Arnold. — Have you ever had the water analyzed from these 

 drains to find out whether it is taking off any fertility or not? 



Mr. Nicolai. — I never have, but I am convinced that it does, in 

 certain cases. 



Mr. Arnold. — How would you stop that? 



Mr. Nicolai. — I don't know that I could stop it, nor could I stop 

 losing some of the fertility under any circumstances. I am one 

 of those who believe in manuring in the fall or winter, or any 

 other time that it is convenient, to get it on the land as quickly as 

 possible, spread it on brodcast, and in that condition I am going 

 to lose some of the fertility anyhow. 



Mr. Arnold. — Don't you believe if you have a growing crop on 

 the land there would be less lose than v.ithout any. 



Mr. Nicolai. — There wouldn't any crop grow just now. There 

 is a chance as soon as the water gets out of the land. I know of 

 one place where the basins were all filled up with water two 

 weeks ago, and it has all sunk away, the land is dry, and if there 



