492 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS, 



stable condition of the soil, so strikingly and favorably different from 

 the larger part of seeped irrigated soils, makes the process compara- 

 tively simple. It is, in fact, an ideal locality for using drain tile, 

 because a firm bed upon which to place them can be secured, and the 

 earth is sufficiently dense to prevent troublesome washing of the 

 soil into the drains when the fields are irrigated. 



It is found here as elsewhere that the location and the depth of 

 drains are two essentials which must be observed in draining. As 

 previously mentioned, alkali and seepage appear upon levels at the 

 foot of slopes or where natural percolation is checked by a reef in the 

 soil. A survey of the subsoil by means of borings is more essential 

 as a preliminary to the construction of drains than is a surface survey. 

 The ground water coming from the lower depths, and being under a 

 pressure or head which tends to force it to the surface, similar to the 

 conditions which produce artesian wells, presents a condition which 

 requires the drains to be placed where the water enters the land, as 

 nearly as possible, thus cutting off the source of the saturation. The 

 ditches for that reason must be deep, 5 feet or more being found 

 necessary for the most effective work. A few lines of tile drains, if 

 properly located and constructed, will frequently effectualh' dry a 

 large field, whereas, if improperly located and laid at a shallow depth, 

 any number of lines will produce little benefit. Since the time when 

 the practicability of draining the lands in this valley was shown, a 

 drain-tile factory has been established about 5 miles from Tremonton, 

 where a fairly good clay for this purpose is found. This factoi*y is 

 operated by the Acme Clay Co., which is made up of enterprising 

 farmers, such a factory being found necessary because of the lack of 

 drain tile within a convenient shipping distance. The factory (PI. 



XXIII, fig. 2) consists of a steam tile mill, one kiln, and some drying 

 sheds. Clay is taken direct from the bank in cars which are drawn 

 up an incline to a dumping platform, where the clay is shoveled by 

 hand labor into the mill which molds the tiles. The freshly molded 

 tiles are dried in the sheds which adjoin the mill and are then placed 

 in the kiln and burned. The ware w^hich is produced is red in color 

 and hard, the latter quality being essential to a permanent drain in 

 alkaline water-logged soils. 



Hand labor is being displaced by steam trenching machines (PI. 



XXIV, fig. 1), which work admirably in those soils. They excavate 

 the trench to the full depth required at one passage, delivering the 

 earth on one side convenient for back filling. A grading device per- 

 mits the operator to control the machine and make the bottom of the 

 ditch conform to the grade which has been previously established by 

 a survey, without which precaution the construction of drains should 

 not be attempted. These lands are more easily drained than are 

 those in many other localities, and, furthermore, the salts which 



