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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



ANOTHER WORD ON DRAINAGE. 



[Ill the article appearing in the October issue of the 

 Chronicle, bj^ Edwin Jenkins on "Appertainin' to 

 Drains," the word "below" was erroneously employed for 

 the word "less," thus putting an entirely different con- 

 struction on the sentence than was intended. 



T-he author accused us of being the culprit, charging a 

 typographical error. In defense we wrote him, "In look- 

 ing over your copy we find you to be the offender, and 

 are returning the copy to show that we followed it . . . 

 Whatever you may wish to say in making a correction we 

 shall be glad to publish." 



The author's reply was, "I plead guilty of a false accu- 

 sation (unintentional) .... The particular sentence 

 which reads 'below thirty inches is susceptible to two in- 

 terpretations and so had better be changed to depths less 

 than thirty inches . . . Edwin Jenkins." — The Editor.] 

 Mr. Editor: 



In the October issue of the Chroxicle, I see where 

 our learned friend. ;\Ir. Edwin Jerkins, has tried hard 

 to give his "four-footers" an extra boost. We all ad- 

 mired Ed. last winter when he was appearing weekly 

 in his Shakespearean role in the columns of "Horti- 

 culture." He had a certain force and fearlessness all 

 his own, which those of us who knew him personally 

 expected and enjoyed. Undoubtedly Ed. is one of the 

 most studious and best read gardeners in America to- 

 day besides possessing a wonderful vocabulary. 



He can hand out scientific data on almost any sub- 

 ject. He makes periodical visits to the leading Amer- 

 ican and European colleges to keep himself up to'date, 

 especially in the matter of drains. 



His first criticism of my article is at variance with 

 his Amhurst ideas. He says: "And any drainage sys- 

 tem put in at depths belozv thirty inches is as good as 

 lost." This frank admission on Ed.'s part certainly 

 gives his "four-footers" a death "below." As I stated 

 in my former article, there can never be any hard or 

 fast rule or given depth to a practical drainage system. 

 My own personal experience is that we should dig till 

 we reach hard pan, and then lay the tile six inches be- 

 low the surface of this hard substance. It is then, in 

 my opinion, in the best possible position to draw the 

 surface water. 



_ I am going to prove to Ed. that a system of drains in 

 his own neighborhood, put in by the writer some ten 

 years ago, consisting of a six-inch Akron pipe as leader 

 and four-inch agricultural tile as branches, at an aver- 

 age depth of two feet six inches, are in perfect condi- 

 tion to-day, as can be judged by the following letters : 



Kincraig, Tuxedo Park, N. Y., October 29, 1913. 

 Mr. Walter Jack. 



Dear Sir: As superintendent of the estate of Mrs. Alexandre 

 may I ask you to answer the following questions regarding the 

 drains put in by me in the frarden of the late John E. Alexandre 

 during the months of April and Jtay, 1903? 



"Have you had occasion to relay or clean the 4-inch agricul- 

 tural tile or 6-inch Akron pipe on account of silt or soil entering 

 and choking them? 



"Have you ever observed any of these drains being heaved or 

 displaced by fros£?" 



Trusting you will oblige me with this information and permit 

 the use of same in print, I am 



Yours very truly, 



DAVID S. MILLER. 



"Spring Lawn," Lenox, Mass., Octobe'r 31, 1913. 

 Mr. Miller. 



■Dear Sir: In reply to yours of the 29th inst. would say in 

 regard to your questions about the drains on the late .Toh'n E. 



Alexander's estate. 



Tliat I have never had to relay the 4-inch agricultural tile or 

 the 6-inch Alvron pipe on account of silt or soil entering them; 

 nor have I ever observed these drains being heaved Ijy frost 

 during the nine years I have had charge of the estate, and are 

 all in perfect condition today. Considering the springs (from 

 which the place takes its name) and swamps, they have done 

 excellent work. 



The nature of the soil where I had occasion to dig or excavate 

 has been from 9 to 10 inches of top or black soil, from that to 

 3 feet yellow hard pan, below the latter a stiff clay. 

 Very respectfully yours, 



WALTER JACK. 



I cannot say I quite concur with his "established fact 

 in regard to frost going down four to five feet in sandy 

 and gravelly soils, or that in heavy, moist-retentive soils 

 three feet is the limit." 



Now-, we don't usually drain sandy and gravelly soils, 

 aod if three feet is the limit in soils that require drain- 

 ery, why, Ed., why insist on an extra foot? 



"As to the wet and swampy places," in my opinion it 

 is not on account of "the water in the swamp being slow 

 to give up its heat," but simply the w'ater in the swamp 

 as in a pond, or lake, freezing, protects all underneath 

 a certain depth. 



I have not altered my opinion about the practicability 

 of stone drains, and you will have to give me further 

 proof of their inefficiency. 



There are a great many stone drains in America, as 

 well as in Europe, that have reached the century mark 

 and are still performing their duties. 



It would be a hard matter to convince the average 

 farmer of to-day, whose land is abounding in stones, 

 that the agricultural tile has any advantage over the 

 old-fashioned stone drain. 



"The farmer will drain his fields that are wet. 

 The soil will control the method and cost. 

 He will never dig four-foot drains, you can bet. 



What cares he for old Johnny Frost? 

 Winter comes and goes, and still the drain flows; 

 Now, Ed., your frost scare is surely a ghost!" 

 Tuxedo Park, N. Y. David S. Miller. 



THE SERVICE BUREAU 

 OF THE NATIONAL ASSO- 

 CIATION OF GARDENERS 



Is maintained for the purpose of provid- 

 ing opportunities for efficient and am- 

 bitious men engaged in the profession 

 of gardening. 



This department of the Association is at 

 the disposal of those who may require 

 the services of capable superintendents, 

 gardeners or assistant gardeners. Ad- 

 dress 



M. C. EBEL, Sec'y, 



National .\ssociation of Gardeners, 



Madison, N. J. 



