RECLAIMING MUCK LAND 65 



even 160 rods in length, all leading into one 

 central ditch which leads to our pump-house. 

 These ditches are from 2 to 2% feet in depth. 

 We have tried some tile, and as far as our 

 experience goes, it works well. We lay 6 

 inch boards in the bottom of the ditch, and 

 after covering the tile with gravel and tar 

 paper, put in the soil. As I have said, we 

 find this system works very well. We ex- 

 pect to use old fertilizer sacks over the joints 

 of the tile in future. 



"Our pumping plant has not been oper- 

 ated a large part of the year. In the spring 

 we are troubled with freshets, resulting from 

 the melting snow and heavy rainfall. Then 

 the water comes down in large quantities 

 often converting the larger part of our muck 

 area into a lake. We pump out this water 

 until it is sufficiently low so that our tillage 

 and seeding operations may be safely begun. 



"We have found from experience that one 

 of the most difficult propositions in the re- 

 clamation of muck land is that of the first 

 plowing. The soil is normally loose and 

 porous and filled with roots and stumps. If 

 it also bears a sod, this adds to the difficulty, 

 as the sod rolls up in front of an ordinary 



