50 



time paj' for the tile pipe. Other possible remedies are a change of 

 location or the paving of the channel. 



Again, it not infrequently happens that the supply ditch first built 

 fails to furnish water to the whole of the farm. This may be due to 

 its small size or its location too low to cover the higher ground. The 

 remed}", always costl}', is to build a second feed ditch and either aban- 

 don the lirst or operate and maintain both. 



Still another mistake which is common to this and other States is 

 the location of ditches without any regard to drainage. Water is fre- 

 quently forced from a lower to a higher point along the border of a 

 field b}^ the construction of levees which interfere with and tend to 

 choke the natural water courses. The consequences are a water-logged 

 soil, the rise of alkali, and unprofitable yields. 



FARM LATERALS. 



These small ditches receive water from the supply ditch and dis- 

 tribute it over the surface. On grain fields the field laterals are run 

 after the crop is seeded and usually when it is a few inches above the 

 ground. In the majorit}' of cases these furrows are run by eye from 

 the bordering ditch at varying intervals. Regarding the direction of 

 the furrows there are two well-defined methods practiced in the State. 

 In one the laterals are located either on straight lines and extend more 

 or less diagonall}^ across the field. In the other the head ditch is 

 located across the upper end of the field and the laterals are run at 

 right angles from it down the steepest slope. When the surface of 

 the ground is smooth and level and the laterals carefuU}^ run on a 

 grade of 0.5 to 0.75 inch to the rod the first is preferable. Sometimes 

 large quantities of fine sand or other material are carried down the 

 sup]:)ly ditch and choke up the small field ditches on slight grades. In 

 cases of this kind the lateral on a steep grade preserves a clear chan- 

 nel and the sand is flushed out on the surface of the field. The distance 

 between field laterals varies from about 70 feet in grain to 100 feet in 

 ha}^ fields. A 14 or 16 inch lister plow attached to a sulk}^ frame and 

 drawn by three horses is the implement most commonly used to make 

 laterals. The furrows are cleaned out by a large shovel plow called a 

 "dammer,'' which deposits a pile of earth in the laterals at intervals 

 of 10 to 100 feet, depending on the grade. 



Ol ejections are made to the presence of so many laterals, in a grain 

 field in particular. At first thought it would seem that the occupying 

 of space by laterals lessens the yield to the extent of the surface not 

 under crop. In accordance with this mistaken idea some men space 

 the laterals far apart in order to effect a saving. As a matter of fact 

 nothing is gained ])y a wide space of 150 feet between the laterals, for 

 the head of water ordinarily used can not be spread evenly over so 

 wide a belt. The result is uneven distribution and consequent loss of 



