PERFECT DRAINAGE. 67 



ing among the timothy. A good farmer had contemplated buj'ing 

 the farm for one of his sons, who declared that he " would not 

 have it,'' and " would like to see the man that could make a liv- 

 ing upon it.' Such was its reputation then , to-day it is con- 

 sidered 



ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST PRODUCTIVE FARMS 



in Greene County. A few years ago, examining the assessor's 

 books I found only one farm in the county assessed as high, acre 

 for acre, as my own. Now the question is, what produced the 

 change ? When I got possession of the farm I found that those 

 who had cultivated (a^) the land had invariably plowed " haw"" 

 — thus making a pond of each field. The roads had not been 

 worked, and in the Spring of the year were almost im- 

 passable In a wet time the surplus water from adjoining farms 

 poured on to the land and sometimes drowned out the grow- 

 ing crops. I have frequently known the fences to be taken 

 down in order that teams could pass through the pastures. 

 You will think this a gloomy picture, but it is a correct one. 

 The winter wheat crop was considered so uncertain that few 

 ventured to sow more than a few acres, to bread and furnish 

 themselves with seed. I immediately commenced plowing 

 " gee^'^ threw up the roads as fast as possible, so as to get 

 an outlet for the water, began a thorough system of 

 surface drainage, then seeded the land down to grass as soon 

 as possible. I never had much faith in the old mole ditch, and 

 as soon as tile began to be manufactured in the locality I com- 

 menced using it, so that to-day there is 



A PERFECT NET- WORK OF TILE 



laid all over the farm. I was bothered at first to get out- 

 lets, but finally persuaded my neighbors to drain their land 

 and thus furnish me outlets. The result is that their land is 

 just as good and productive as mine. Where I could not get 

 an outlet, I dug a few wells about six feet deep, walled 

 them up to about three feet from the surface, and let the tile 

 into them, and it answers an excellent purpose. I dug them large 



