CHAPTER V 



DRAINAGE 



IN ATTEMPTING to accomplish the object 

 sought in this work — i.e., that of embodying 

 in one pubhcation as nearly as possible all 

 that is available and valuable information in the 

 potato field — the subject of drainage is held to 

 be of such importance that considerable space is 

 devoted to it. The following article is made up 

 of extracts from ** Bulletin 199" of the Agricultural 

 Experiment Station of the University of Wis- 

 consin and is by E. R. Jones, one of America's 

 foremost drainage experts: 



"Of the several conditions which influence the 

 growth of crops none is more important than the 

 amount of water in or on the soil. While water in 

 a thin film around the soil grains is absolutely es- 

 sential to plants, an excess is as bad as a deficiency. 

 The removal of this excess is known as land 

 drainage. Surface drainage deals with the sur- 

 face runoff, and under-drainage with the water 

 which occupies the spaces between the soil grains. 

 Most land has some natural drainage, but many 

 acres have it to such a limited degree that an im- 

 provement therein is found profitable. 

 *'Too much water is detrimental because: 

 "1. It makes areas so soft that they cannot be 

 cultivated. When these soft areas are long and 

 narrow in form, they cut the upland into ir- 



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