498 HENRY COUNTY, IOWA. 



SYLVESTER SMITH, 



WAYNE, HENRY COUNTY. 



Rich Soil — Drainage Absolutely Necessary — Rotation of Crops 

 Potatoes — Stock. 



Wayne is situated in the northern portion of Henry 

 county, in a prairie township, not having over two hundred 

 acres of native timber in it. 



THE SOIL. 



It has a black soil, about thirty inches in depth, and a clay 

 subsoil. Both the soil and the subsoil are well calculated to 

 retain moisture, and in a residence of thirty-eight years I 

 find that crops are more frequently injured by excessive wet 

 thiin by drought. Crooked creek on the north and Skunk 

 river oiTthe west, have good bodies of native timber. 



PEAT. 



I have dug two wells in my pasture, in both of which I 

 went through two feet of peat at about eight feet from the 

 surface. 



DRAINAGE. 



There is no subject now before the farmer of so much 

 importance as that of draining. If we could draw off the sur- 

 plus water promptly, our crops would be assured almost to a 

 certainty. Machine ditching, both the open and what we term 

 gopher ditching, have been tried, and failed, as they do not 

 prove durable. Tiling is used now, but is rather an experi- 

 ment as yet. Wliat has been put in has been in sloughs 

 mostly, not on flat land. One neighbor has put in two hun- 

 dred rods. His main object is to get water for stock. He 

 used three inch tile, and put it down five feet, but the water 

 supply failed for a time last Fall. Those who have extended 

 their ditches into the flat land, and put them in deeper 

 have permanent water. There is no doubt but tiling will be 



