" FARMERS^ STATE CONGRESS. 418 



simply the rankest kind of injustice to our country people — a regular plan 

 and organization to spread disease, and this matter should be attended 

 to at once by our lawmakers. What is the use of farmers trying to pre- 

 vent disease every spring? The swollen rivers carry the winter's ac- 

 cumulation of germs of all contagious diseases from our cities and deposit 

 them on the farms, for our cattle, horses, hogs and even ourselves to take 

 up in our every-day living. I know no subject that should appeal to the 

 people more than this particular matter. While the farmers of our coun- 

 try have drained our swamps and driven out malaria, the city folks are 

 draining their slaughter-houses and pork-packing houses and shipping it 

 by water into the country. It is not worth while for me to denounce it 

 further, as all feel deeply this rank injustice. 



One more matter, and I close. A good tile drain is better than an 

 open ditch. If you can carry the water with a 20-inch or two 15-inch tile, 

 it is better than to liave an open ditch. There are several good reasons 

 why the tile is the best. It is agreed, first, that a tile will drain more 

 territory. I suppose this is due to the fact that the soil becomes accus- 

 tomed to the filtration of the water in going to a tile drain, while in an 

 open ditch the water goes most overground to the main ditch. 



Second, tile drains wash away no soil. No open ditch can be main- 

 tained as it was when first built. It naturally washes awaj' the sides, 

 and, if obstructions arise, will try to change its course. 



Third, a tile drain does not take up any space. My observation is 

 that farmers need all the land they can get, and even fence corners, and 

 having a wide, open ditch through the farm often takes up much valuable 

 soil and ofttimes divides your farm into fields that are neitlier necessary 

 or useful. 



Fourth, a tile drain enriches the soil. Water, in getting to a tile 

 drain, must filter through the soil. This makes the soil porous, and 

 porous soil is always richer and more productive than hard, compact soil. 

 The air can reach the roots of the plant better through porous soil, and 

 plants must have air containing nitrogen. If the land is good and you 

 want to ditch it, put your ditch deep as you can conveniently, and, if your 

 land is poor, put the ditch as near the surface as you can. This is best, 

 because a ditch will hold moisture. 



Now, gentlemen, we all must realize that our future happiness de- 

 pends largely upon our health and our pocket-book. The drains of this 

 country have been the bitter enemy of our country doctors, and have de- 

 creased the traffic in quinine; and we should hope that the subject of 

 drains will be further extended, as it largely aids our farmers in making 

 more money out of their farms. 



Thank you. 



