74 Elementary Principles of Agriculture 



"sloughs," and the like, in which water stagnates to 

 the detriment of the soil and the crops. Such places 

 may often be greatly improved by making surface 

 ditches or by placing drainage tiles (Fig. 41) to carry off 

 the surplus water. In making open ditches it is better, 

 if circumstances allow, to make them broad with sides 

 sloping up about one foot in three or four. This will 

 permit of the cultivation of the drainage-way, and leave 

 no banks to harbor weeds or interfere with the driving 

 of the plows in any direction. Sometimes underground 

 drainage ways are provided. These are often made by 

 digging narrow ditches to the proper depth and filling 

 partly with coarse stones, logs, etc., before refilling. The 

 surplus water finds an outlet through the spaces between 

 the stones. Regular drainage tiles are now most often 

 used in place of loose stone. They may be secured in 

 any size to suit the local conditions. Many fields have 

 been greatly improved by placing rows of tile drains 

 every thirty feet or so. The prompt drainage of some 

 soils is just as important as the conservation of water 

 in others. An excess of water delays the warming of the 

 soil in spring, and prevents the growth of the roots. 



On hillsides, water flows off so quickly that it forms 

 washes, or gullies, in the land. The field is injured, not 

 only by a direct washing off of the productive surface 

 soil, but also by a leaching out of the valuable mineral 

 plant foods that accumulate in the surface soils that are 

 not washed. (K 130.) Everyone has noticed the lessened 

 productiveness of sloping hillsides that have been long in 

 cultivation. Many plans have been proposed to lessen 

 these losses to the productive qualities of such lands, or 

 to restore such qualities to fields that have been injured 

 by neglect. Some lands wash badly, even though the 



