CHAPTER XIII. 



FARM DRAINAGE. 



Soil drainage consists in the removal of the surplus 

 water from the soil. Some lands are naturally drained, 

 while others must be drained artificially. The most 

 economical and durable artificial drain is the earthen tile. 

 To be productive a soil must contain enough water to 

 dissolve the nutrient which plants require. Alore than 

 this amount of moisture is not beneficial to the soil or to 

 the growing plant. The surplus water fills the pores of 

 the soil, thus excluding the air, and suffocating the plant. 



Value of Drainage. 



655. A farmer in northern Ohio continually failed 

 in raising crops because his land was wet. He was in- 

 duced to tile-drain 13 acres, which was done at a cost 

 of $23 an acre. What was the total cost of draining the 

 field? 



656. After the field was drained this farmer sowed it 

 in wheat, and on 10 acres harvested 46 >^ bushels an acre, 

 which was sold for $1 a bushel. What sum was realized 

 for this wheat? 



657. He claims this result w^as due to his investment 

 in tile drains. What amount an acre was realized on this 

 wheat crop after paying the total cost of draining the 13 

 acres ? 



658. Encouraged by the resuhs of drainage, this 

 farmer tile-drained a part of his young orchard. On land 

 where tile drains had been partially laid 25 trees out of a 



t6i 



