734 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
absolutely impossible to do good work by what is called "water level," or 
by a straight edge and carpenter's level in the trench. The computations 
of cuts can only be made by measuring the elevation at every stake. This 
could be done by a carpenter's level, but the inconvenience in making the 
many adjustments make it unprofitable to do so. -A surveyor's level can 
be purchased for a small sum, and any farmer's boy can learn in an 
hour's time to measure elevations for all ordinary drainage work. I wish 
to speak briefly in closing about the drainage district law, but before I 
pass to that I will devote a little space to the general subject of tile 
draining, and must be content with a few injunctions and expressions of 
opinion. Drawing surface water off from land is good as far as it goes, 
but there is not much profit in it even though done at small cost, because 
the land is still wet. The great profit comes when you can raise big 
crops on land that was once a waste place, and this is true even though 
the cost is very great. Then it is wise when you begin to tile to plan for 
complete and thorough drainage. Do not despise a small tile. Sometimes 
you may think your tile is too small when the trouble is that it is 
poorly laid. It costs nearly five times as much to put in 12-inch tile as it 
does to put in 4-inch, and in many cases five lines of 4-inch tile would be 
very much better than one of 12. Do not spend too much time "fussing" 
with the bottom of your trench. If it is cut accurately as it should be the 
"crumbs" do more good than hurt. If tile is laid in sand, cover all joints 
thoroughly with clay or black soil. If in quicksand, lay a few rods and 
let the water drain out before you go any further. Protect your outlet 
against caving earth by a stone wall, and against animals that would 
harbor in the tile by a Tenold protector. (I would not use this paper 
for the praise of a special article if there was another in the market in 
its class. This article stands alone and is an entire success.) I do not 
feel competent to advise as to the merits of cement tile. It seems that 
on large sizes when made on the ground in the field where used there is 
considerable saving in cost, but the relative merits of clay and cement 
are yet in dispute, and I am as yet unconvinced of the merit of cement. 
The ordinary cost of putting in tile drain where the hauling is not more 
than ten miles may be roughly estimated as follows: 4-inch, 65 c per rod; 
5-inch, 80c; 6-inch, $1; 7-inch, $1.40; 8-inch, $1.80; 10-inch, $2.50; 12-inch, 
$3.25. These estimates are actual cost w^ithout mishap. The danger of 
floods, quicksand, hardpan, bad roads, expensive handling on soft ground, 
etc., makes it difficult to get contracts for these prices, but if you have no 
mishap they will about cover cost for ordinary depth in this county. 
Now, what about the drainage district law? Yes, it is a good law. 
It will be an untold blessing to Worth county more and more as the years 
go by. It may need some changes, but in the main it is a good law. It 
is not strange if some mistakes are made in the first cases; it is probable 
that more yet will be made. My e^iperience both as a lawyer and as an 
engineer has given me an opportunity to see where mistakes are apt to 
be made, and I will here point out some of these dangers: If an open 
ditch is specified on your land it will be a mistake if you do not file a 
claim for damages. The right of way is part of the cost, and justice 
cannot be done unless every man files his claim and a fair (not large) 
