510 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



We believe in improved methods in agriculture and know that the 

 productiveness of our farms should be and must be increased; yet, 

 we also feel that it is not by method that the farmer will come into 

 his own as a producer and a real part of our social and business 

 scheme, but, by legislation and the proper execution of well meant 

 laws. 



Kespectfully submitted, 



HOWARD G. McGOWAN, Chairman. 



A. J. KAHLER, 



S. S. BLYHOLDER, 



E. B. DORSET. 



TILE DRAINAGE 



By T. E. MARTIN, Syracuse, N. Y. 



We are realizing more and more every day that tile drainage is 

 a very important factor in the successful pursuit of agriculture, and 

 there is no doubt that where tile drainage is needed and is done it 

 will soon repay more than its cost. Some people try to improve their 

 farms in other ways. They will erect good buildings or in some 

 way improve the farm. That is all well in its place, but just re- 

 member that buildings will not make a farm but a farm may make 

 buildings, and if the soil is wet it will pay to drain it. Many dollars 

 are spent for fertilizers and I know that if such money was spent 

 in buying tile and putting them into the ground it would have paid 

 much better. We are constantly looking for paying investments. 

 Tile drainage is one way to invest money in such a way that it will 

 pay sure and large dividends annually without the aid of an invest- 

 ment company watering the stock. Tiles abhor water. 



1 would just like to take up the soil for a few minutes. Soils are 

 made up of innumerable small particles. These vary in size and 

 shape and touch each other, more or less, according to the compact- 

 ness of the soil. It is said by scientific men that soil particles vary 

 in size from 4-100 of an inch to 2-10000 of an inch in diameter. 

 (Blackboard illustrations used throughout.) If a soil is made up of 

 very small particles there are more particles in a given quantity of 

 soil, and of course, we have consequently more soil spaces. The small- 

 er the soil spaces, the closer the particles lie together and the more 

 resistance offered drainage and consequently more drought resisting. 

 The coarser the soil particles the less resistance offered drainage and 

 drought. Therefore, the soil is made up of spaces largely. These 

 spaces are said to range from thirty-seven per cent, in coarse soils 

 to sixty-five per cent, in fine soils. If we have fine soil particles 

 we have more space in the soil and vise versa with coarse soils. Now 

 these spaces in the soil perform several offices, three important ones. 

 They provide for the drainage and removal of the water from the 

 soil and aeration. Also, they provide for capillary attraction to be 

 re-established — a triple mission being performed. Here is the sur- 



