SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



vent for the water to pass off after the soil is saturated, 

 the plant would not thrive, for, as we know, excess of 

 moisture is fatal to the growth of the plant. 



Methods of Drainage. Probably the most commonly 

 used artificial method of draining is the surface ditch, 

 sometimes called open drainage, in contrast to the closed 

 drainage, or tiling system. The first seems the more 



FARM OF 



Aug. Samuelson 



LAFAYETTE, MINN. 



NICOLLET Co. 



FIG. 31. Drainage Plan of a Farm. 



economical because its first cost is cheaper, but it is 

 usually more expensive in the end. The cost of digging 

 a trench is less than that of .laying tile, but when once 

 properly laid, tiles last for years and do not fill up, 

 while ditches demand labor each year to keep them in 



