686 EXPEBIMENT STATION RECOKD. 



EURAL ENGINEERING. 



Progress in drainage, C. G. Elliott ( V. 8. Dept. Agr., Office Expt. Stas. 

 Rpt. 11)01^ pp. 3Sl'-'iOJi, Jigs. 8). — ^A brief review of tlie liistory of drainage is 

 given, beginning witli tile drains installed in France as early as 1G20, fol- 

 lowed by a discussion of the function of water in the soil and the regulation 

 of its amount by drainage. 



Outlets are stated to be a prime consideration for all drainage undertakings 

 and must be provided if not available. Natural conditions, therefore, impose a 

 community of interest requiring cooperation upon the landowners. Resulting 

 from this are the State general drainage laws which though simple in principle 

 have met with certain difficulties in operation. " The effectiveness of the law 

 depends upon the attitude of the people who are directly concerned in the pro- 

 posed drainage." 



Unanimity of opinion where the question of sharing cost enters, is difficult to 

 secure and often results in objections to assessments and plans, consequently im- 

 peding the progress of the woi-k. 



It is stated that results accomplish more in inducing farmers to drain than 

 theorizing, and three examples of successful drainage operations are given. 

 Contributing to the drainage progress which was necessary to meet the im- 

 proved economic agricultural conditions are the experience of early drainage 

 work and mechanical aids, especially the adaptation of the steam shovel to 

 the excavation of large ditches. The cost has also increased with the price 

 of labor. Mistakes resulting from lack of established precedents and disregard 

 or ignorance of others' experiences have naturally been made, such as too small 

 channels, sizes of drains not proportioned to meet requirements of various soil 

 and climatic conditions, and weak levees, the failure of which retards progress 

 by discouraging landowners. 



The future field of drainage engineers is deemed to be not only swamp and 

 uncultivated lands, but the improving of over 20,000,000 acres of land now 

 farmed, the production of which it is believed may be increased 20 per cent. 

 The article concludes with a discussion of the benefits of drainage and of 

 localities which may be drained. 



Practical farm drainage, C. G. Elliott (Neiv York, 1908, pp. XV +188-, 

 figs. 46). — This is a revised edition of the author's book of the same title but 

 has been entirely rewritten with an addition of considerable new material. 

 It presents for the use of farmers the main established theories and methods 

 of drainage applicable to their needs. Of the new chapters, that on cooperative 

 work which is frequently necessary to secure a satisfactory outlet for drains 

 contains some suggestions for sharing the cost when the work is done by mutual 

 agreement. A chapter is devoted to special problems in drainage, which treats 

 briefly of muck lands, erosion of hillsides, salt marshes, alkali lands in humid 

 sections, and bottom lands. The concluding chapter discusses the drainage of 

 irrigated lands, a branch which is stated to be attracting much attention in 

 the older irrigated sections. 



Losses of irrigation water and their prevention, R. P. Teele ( U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Office Expt. Stas. Rpt. 1907, pp. 369-386, figs. Ji). — A summary of available 

 data in which are discussed losses from canals, prevention of seepage losses, 

 losses in the application of water to land, and influence of laws, contracts, and 

 regulations on waste of water. 



Irrigation in southeastern Australia (Engineer [London'], 106 (1908), 

 No. 2159, p. 504). — This is a short account of what has been accomplished in 

 reclaiming the arid lands of Australia and of the steps leading to the Murrum- 

 bridge project now under construction. This includes a curved dam 232 ft. 



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