122 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GEORGIA. [408] 



causing it to saturate the soil, and even to rise arid stand 

 upon the surface. 



In such cases the first duty of the land owner is to ex- 

 amine the ground to see if an outlet can be gotten for the 

 drains, and what fall can be had. 



Many farmers supposing that an open ditch through 

 the center of the swamp, caused by these pent-up springs, 

 will effectually drain it, finding their mistake after the ditch 

 is cut, abandon the undertaking without further effort. 



In order to drain such swamps, the sources of the evil 

 must be sought out, and the water collected into under- 

 ground drains at the foot of the hill, before it has an op- 

 portunity to saturate the soil below. If the substrata un- 

 derlying the hills from which this water oozes are exam- 

 ined, there will usually be found either one of rock or im- 

 pervious clay continuous under the hill, but terminating at 

 its base. 



The water, which falls upon the hills, percolates to this 

 impervious stratum, follows its surface to its termination 

 on the edge of the bottom, where, if not collected and 

 carried off by ditches or underdrains, it saturates the soil 

 and produces a swamp. 



Similar oozy places, occasioned by the cropping out of 

 impervious subterranean strata, are sometimes observed on 

 the siJes of hills, causing below them either barren galls 

 or gullies. In all such cases the remedy must be sought 

 in the collection of the water into underdrains before it 

 reaches the surface, and conducting it to a main drain or 

 open ditch. 



WHERE DRAINAGE IS NECESSARY. 



It is a grave mistake to suppose that only swamp lands, 

 or those which are too wet during the whole or the greater 

 part of the year, require drainage. All lands through 

 which rain water is unable to percolate freely, or in which 

 it either stands for any considerable time on the surface, cr 



