1824 The Cornell Rkading-Courses 



on the soil particles, which is commonly known as capillary water.' 

 Any sort of a channel that accomplishes this purpose is effective and many 

 methods of drainage may be employed. Some are less efficient and per- 

 manent than others. 



OBJECTION TO SURFACE DITCHES 



Surface ditches and canals are used where temporary results are desired, 

 or where a large volume of water must be removed. For agricultural 

 purposes the common surface ditches, or furrows, are of low efficiency 

 and very expensive. They do not remove the water from a sufficient 

 depth of soil; their grade is usually poor; the water flows slowly or not 

 at all, or, if it flows rapidly, cutting results. The earth thrown out in 

 forming the ditch hinders the entrance and removal of water; the ditch 

 obstructs the surface, interferes with tillage and harvesting operations, 

 and harbors weeds. Further, such ditches must be renewed from year 

 to year — all of which make them more expensive over a period of years 

 than covered drains. 



DLD-FASHIONED COVERED DRAINS 



Poles, brush, and stone have been used in constructing covered drains 

 and have done good service in affording drainage. Their use was much 

 more permissible in former years than at present when a good quality of 

 drain tile can be had in most sections of the country. All these materials 

 have the disadvantage of short life and often high cost of construction. 

 If stones are used they had best be arranged without any definite throat. 

 The ditch should be relatively large. The stones should be dumped in 

 promiscuously, except that the small, flat stones should be on the top and 

 the bottom. The water finds its way through the large spaces, and the 

 small stones on top reduce the danger of clogging. Flat stones may be 

 arranged face to face, with the flat sides parallel to the walls of the 

 ditch. The top should be covered with small, flat stones. 



TILE drains; the best quality of tile 

 The preeminent material for modern land drainage is tile. It comes 

 in different shapes and quality. By a process of evolution we have come to 

 prefer round or hexagonal tiles because they are easiest to lay and least 

 likely to clog. They may be made of burned clay or of concrete. Clay 

 tile may be either vitrified or un vitrified. The fonner is the more durable 

 because its walls are less porous. The difference lies in the quality of clay 

 used and the degree of heat applied in burning. Vitrification means partial 



> This subject was explained in Soil Moisture and Crop Production. Reading-Course Lesson for the 

 Farm, No. 70. 



