DRAINAGE l8l 



the lake was slightly built up from century to century 

 by this flood water spreading out in the grass, where it 

 rested so quietly as to deposit whatever solid particles 

 the flood water had accumulated. This very slight 

 increase of fine clay and silt, year after year, was 

 probably sufficient to make this portion of the section a 

 foot or two higher than the other portions. 



It is interesting to know that in the level valley of the Red 

 River of the North, and in the case of many other rivers, 

 the land within half a mile of the rivers and streams is 

 usually higher than the land some distance back, since 

 these rivers frequently overflow; the cause mentioned 

 in the previous paragraph seems to be the explanation. 

 Consequently, there are large, wet, level areas found, from 

 a half mile to several miles back from the Red River of 

 the North and from the banks of the streams which flow 

 into it through that level country. There are, occasion- 

 ally, openings in these broad flat banks through which 

 the flood water can run into the streams, but these are 

 so few and the land is generally so nearly level that the 

 drainage, on the whole, is often poor, and must be arti- 

 ficially improved much after the manner illustrated in 

 the discussion of section of land mentioned in Figure 80. 



In making a plan for surface drains, it was found 

 necessary to begin on the south side of the farm, and 

 instead of running the water toward the lake, now made 

 into a stream or canal, to conduct it along farm ditches 

 and public road ditches to the lowest point at the center 

 of the north line, and from there carry it westward to 

 the canal. Thus a large roadside ditch was provided 

 around the south, east and north sides of the area to be 

 drained. When more expense can be afforded, a deep 

 ditch to carry the water westward along the south side 

 of the section will be a valuable improvement. 



By making broad ditches along roads dividing the farm 

 into forty and eighty-acre fields, drainage water from 



