No. 40 of this Department treats of farm drainage, and more detailed 

 information can be obtained from various publications on the subject. 



In the ordinary condition in which tidal marshes are found it is unwise 

 to place tile until the land has had opportunity to drain and settle ; 

 otherwise in the settling the tile will be displaced and rendered of little 

 use. For this reason the ditches for the tile drains should be dug and 

 allowed to work as open drains until the excess of water from the soil 

 and the settling which accompanies the drainage is over. In cases of 

 very peaty swamps this sinking is great and continues for a long time. 

 More permanent open drains are then essential, but they should be 

 maintained as open drains no longer than necessary. 



The distances between the drains will vary with the soil. In light 

 porous soils a distance of 300 feet is allowable, while in stiff and tight 

 clays drains 30 feet apart are sometimes necessary. The minimum 

 depth should be 3 feet for general farming or trucking, but for grass 

 land the drains are as effective if placed not deeper than from 18 inches 

 to 2 feet. In peat soils drains one-fourth to one-half mile apart are 

 often sufficient. 



The grade on which the tile is to be laid is largely to be governed by 

 the height of the marsh above low water. The tendency is to use very 

 few of the li-inch or 2-inch tiles, but to make 3-inch tiles the smallest 

 used. The smaller tiles are found difficult, to lay and keep in operation 

 and the 3-inch tiles are not more expensive in the end and are much 

 more effective. 



WASHING OUT THE SALT. 



In salt marshes the tile drains are for two purposes : First to remove 

 the salt which has been left by the water, and second, to remove 

 promptly any excess of water which may be present or fall on the marsh. 

 In order that the salt may be removed it must be dissolved in water and 

 that water drained away. The usual way of reclaiming the meadows 

 is to allow the rain to wash out the salt. This is a slow practice, requir- 

 ing usually two or three years, but during this time some 'crop can 

 usually be grown. The sweetening can be accelerated by irrigation 

 with fresh water, if such is at hand. When the land is to be reclaimed 

 by irrigation small amounts of water should be applied at frequent 

 intervals rather than a single heavy flooding. If small applications of 

 water, not more than enough to cover the ground to a depth of from one 

 to 4 inches, with sufficient time between the applications to allow the 

 drains to carry away all the excess of water, be applied, the land can 

 lc sweetened in one season or less. If the natural sweetening process 

 is followed, the native salt grass should be allowed to grow at first and 

 tame grasses will gradually take their place as the salt is removed by 

 the drainage. 



When the cost of this method of frequent small floodings is found to 



