482 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Kents an approximately accurate record of the expense of the various operations 

 performed hi installing ll,89r) rods of tile for tlie purpose of draining areas 

 totaling 228 acres. 



The work was done in part l>y hand trenching and in part by machine trench- 

 ing. Practically all the soil of the farm is of glacial origin and the principal 

 type is clay loam containing a large percentage of silt. The surface soil con- 

 sists of clay or heavy silt loam about 9 in. deep, which gradually becomes 

 heavier with the depth until at 18 to 24 in. it is a clay which becomes decidedly 

 plastic at a depth of 3 ft. The lower lying soil consists mainly of a dark-colored 

 clay loam or clay, varying greatly in depth and underlain by a very stiff bluish 

 clay. 



The tiling operations of the first year were largely confined to hand trench- 

 ing, while the work of the other two years was mainly done by machine trench- 

 ing. The power tile ditching machine used was equipped with a caterpillar 

 tractor. The machine was equipped to do work at four different rates of 

 speed which were used according to depth of digging and stickiness of dirt. 

 Dry ground had no effect upon the machine except to dull the knives, and soil 

 frozen to a depth of 4 in. and the freezing of wet earth to the machine caused 

 little trouble. During the greater part of the season the machine could be 

 operated satisfactorily immediately after heavy showers. Round stones or 

 boulders in the ditch line caused more or less trouble, depending upon the loca- 

 tion in the ditch, the size of the stones, etc. Boulders the size of a man's head 

 were removed by the machine with comparative ease but when larger than 

 this it was necessary to raise the digger wheel and remove them by hand. 



A comparison of machine trenching with hand trenching shows the former to 

 have an advantage in cost of 7.4 cts. per rod. Another point in favor of the 

 ditching machine is the speed which can be maintained, it being shown that the 

 machine operators use less than one-sixth as much labor per rod in trenching 

 and laying tile as is spent when the work is done by hand. " Considering the 

 scarcity of labor and the advancing wages that farmers are being forced to 

 pay, it is evident that, even though machine trenching were to cost more than 

 hand trenching, they probably would be forced to make use of the machine." 



A summary of the costs of all tiling operations except hauling is given in the 

 following table; 



Installing costft per rod of tile drainage hij hatid and niachinc. 



Handwork, 

 1909. 



Machine, 

 1910. 



Machine, 

 1911. 



Average 

 matliine. 



Area in acres 



Number rods dug 



Machine charges 



Macliino operator 



Giisoline 



Oil 



Contract laymg 



Filling ditches 



Other equipment charges. 



Undivided operations 



Overhead cliarges 



Plottmg drains 



Total average cost. 



40 

 2,560 



$0. 3760 

 .0300 

 .0040 



.0230 

 .0158 



654 

 4,0S0 

 SO. 1084 

 .0315 

 .0219 

 .0014 

 .0634 

 . 0252 

 .0037 

 .0433 

 .0230 

 .0149 



.3367 



122| 

 4,755 

 SO. 1529 

 .0392 

 .0305 

 .0028 

 .06,86 

 .0363 

 .0043 

 .0354 

 . 0340 

 .0140 



.4071 



$0. 1324 

 .0356 

 .0266 

 .0022 

 .0t)63 

 .0312 

 .0040 

 .0390 

 .0230 

 .0144 



.3747 



Report of the investigations on drain tile, American Society for Testing 

 Materials {lotca Engin. Erpt. Sta. Bui. 36 U9U), pp. 110. figs. J).— Tests of 

 clay and concrete tile to determine the comparative values of results secured 

 by the use of sand bearings, hydraulic bearings, and three-point bearings are 



