AORFCin.TT'RAI. APPROPIUATION BIIJ^ 1024. ^'.'• 



FO|{ KMCM DKMNAIJK \M> DUAISACK OK SWVMI' Wfi WKT I.A\I>H. 



For farm draiiin^o wr aro asking the «amo appropriation thai wo 

 have for tliis year. In oiir rrspjirrli work wp aro af 

 the outstandiii}^ prol>l»Mns those which an' Hit- foniKhii .■., ..; . ;;, . ; , > . 

 and economical (hainapo. 



Tho work in Minnesota with rcfjard to tho efrprt-^ r>f soil alkahes nnd 

 a<Mds upon the <hirahihty <»f concrete tih- is h«'in«; continued i? 

 eration with the CoUei^e of A<;nciiltiire of the I'nivei-sitv of Miri' 

 and the State <lepartment of drainaj^e and waters. Definite p: 

 is heinp made on this project. Larpelv as a result of this work m 

 MintU'sota concrete tile nianufacturerl m the State has improved in 

 ([uality When tlie w<uk was l>e«jun lar^^e tile did not me«'t the 

 absorption recpiirements of the American Society for Testing Mate- 

 rials, i. e., 11 per <"ent. Tests of \'i4 tile made Uy 17 plants during 

 the past year showed that ahout one-half of tlu'se plants are now 

 niakni}; tde averafijinj^ hetwtMMi t» and 7 per c«'nt al>sor|)tion. 'I'he 

 work we are doinoj in Minnesota is receivinj; the cordial support of 

 the tile manufacturers, who fully appreciate the necessity of research 

 in order to improve the <|uality of tile made. 



Durinp^ the last fiscal year an en<;ineer was statione<l at Cape 

 Girardeau. Mo., to make a systematic study of the flow of water in a 

 lartje lloodway that is a part of the Little Hiver draina«;e district. 

 Valuable information was secured as to the elements that affect the 

 flow of such channels. The use of flood ways in connection with 

 larg:e drainaoje undertakings undoubtedly will increase and reliable 

 information as to the flow in such channels is essential to their proper 



(lesiOT 



The effect of tile upon the ground water table has received the 

 attention of the bureau for several yeai-s. The purpose of these 

 investigations is to accpiire an adetpiate basis for determining the 

 proper depth and sj^acing of drains in the various soils. A study ^yith 

 regard to the effect of tile in the sandy soils of the coastal plain of 

 North Carolina was completed last year and a report prepared. The 

 opportunities for study along this line are as numerous as are the 

 types of soil and the variations of rainfall, and the work should be 

 continued. 



The study of the use of sedimentation basins as a means of pre- 

 ventinoj the deposit of silt in main drainage channels in the Michlle 

 West has been continued. The j)urpose of such basins, ^vhich are 

 constructed in branch drains, is to cat(;h and retain silt washed down 

 from the hills before it reaches the main channels. The subject is a 

 very important one as it is believed that the proper location and 

 construction of such basins will help to solve the silting problem 

 which at present is a very serious one. 



At the refpiest of interested landowners a study was made as lit 

 the possibility of draining successfully <'ertain impervious soils by 

 the use of tile in the Yazoo Delta. Miss. The buulowners claimed 

 these soils could not be successfully drained. Our investigations, 

 however, shcm-ed that the difhculty was langely improper ilesign and 

 construction. 



In cooperation with the Office of Farm Management and Farm 

 Economics, a study has been completed of the economic results that 

 have been obtaine<l in two drainage districts in North Carolina. 



