RECLAIMING MUCK LAND 49 



If the muck is deeper than 4 feet and the 

 area larger, the chances are that it still needs 

 additional drainage, either by open ditches 

 or tile. Open ditches are the most common, 

 because they are cheaper to install. How- 

 ever, they are unsightly, wasteful of land, 

 and furnish a place for weeds to grow and 

 usually develop plenty of seed, thereby in- 

 creasing the labor of weeding. In the long 

 run, particularly ior laterals, the tile is 

 cheaper in many cases. The cost of tile will 

 often be covered by the crop that can be 

 grown on the space taken up by the ditch 

 and its banks, frequently in one season. An 

 open ditch and its banks is, as well, a con- 

 stant expense as nearly all muck heaves 

 badly or blows away, filling the ditches, 

 which it is usually necessary to clean each 

 year. 



Cost of Main Ditches. Big marshes con- 

 taining sluggish, winding streams need out- 

 let ditches, which are made by deepening 

 and straightening the water courses. An 

 outlet ditch should be deep enough for 

 underdrainage and wide enough to carry the 

 Hood flow of surface water. A fall of i foot 

 to the mile may be sufficient for a large 



