THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



309 



ordinary conditions contain no water during a consid- 

 erable portion of the growing season. Those drains 

 which are fed by springs or have a continual flow 

 through them are more subject to obstruction from the 

 roots of trees than drains which are dry for a part of 

 the year. Dr. W. I. Chamberlain, of Summit County, 

 Ohio, in writing upon this subject, says : 



"I have lately dug down to my drains in an apple 

 orchard set twenty-one years ago with trees thirty-mree 



Fig. 18. Drainage of irrigated land by wells. 



feet apart, and whose roots long since met and passed 

 each other and whose branches have nearly met, and 

 the drains placed between the rows are wholly free from 

 any obstruction by roots." 



An orchard known to the writer was set on the 

 farm of Mr. L. Goodwin, in Tipton County, Ind., 

 thirteen years ago, consisting of apple and pear trees 

 in rows thirty feet apart. Tile drains were placed five 

 feet deep between the rows and as yet are unobstructed 

 by roots. The tiles in a small fruit garden adjoining 

 this orchard, drained in a similar way, are still free 

 from roots. 



Where there is reason to suspect that there will be 

 difficulty with tree roots the joints of the tiles near 



Fig. 19. Drainage of irrigated land by intercepting drains. 



the trees should be securely cemented. It is safe to 

 say that all willows and water elms growing within 

 fifty feet of any tile drain should be destroyed, irre- 

 spective of the flow of water in the drain. 



CO-OPERATION IN DRAINAGE WORK. 



It is not often the case that drainage can be ac- 

 complished in any comprehensive manner without co- 

 operation among landowners. Outlets can not always 

 be secured upon the land which it is desired to drain. 

 Water courses exist without reference to land lines or 



the desires of individual owners. The property of 

 some owner is more elevated than that of an adjoining 

 neighbor, and as a result the lower land, in a state 

 of nature, receives the drainage. All land is entitled 

 to such drainage relief as is afforded by nature. When 

 natural means are insufficient and co-operation becomes 

 necessary there are common interests involved which 

 can not be considered separately. Both mutual and in- 

 dividual benefits should eliminate self-interest suffi- 

 ciently to secure a fair consideration of the merits of 

 the case in hand. It may be said that the improve- 

 ments made by any farmer in a community indirectly 

 benefit his neighbors. The privilege of improving his 

 land by draining it should not be prohibited either by 

 law or the prejudice of his neighbors, especially when no 

 injury can be suffered by the neighbor occupying lower 

 land. Assuming that the owner of land occupying a 

 higher level desires to drain, and has no outlet with- 

 out crossing the land of his neighbor, he should not 

 be enjoined from doing so at his own expense, even 

 when no good will incidentally be conferred upon that 

 neighbor. On the other hand, if the drain so con- 

 structed will benefit his neighbor the latter should bear 

 a proportional part of the expense of the work done on 

 his own land. A case can scarcely be found where the 

 making of a drain for the benefit of upper land and 

 conducting it through that occupying a lower level 

 can work any injury to the lower land. It is in accord- 

 ance with justice and equity, however, that the work 

 of improving the upper land by artificial means should 

 be done in such a way that no injury will result to 

 anyone. In case this is unavoidable, remuneration 

 should be made to the person suffering injury. Some 

 farmers are unintentionally captious in cases where the 

 improvement of a neighbor's land requires some con- 

 cessidn on their parts. At the same time there is great 

 reluctance on the part of some to consider the rights 

 of the owners of lower lands over or through which 

 drainage must be obtained. Many misunderstandings 

 in the adjustment of these matters arise from a 

 misconception of the true office and results of land 

 drainage in general. It is a subject whose appearance 

 varies according to the viewpoint of the observer, and 

 so requires candid consideration by every one inter- 

 ested in carrying out the work of a character covering 

 more than individual interests. The questions arising 

 under this head are so diverse and include work of such 

 magnitude that a comprehensive knowledge of the sub- 

 ject is a necessary prerequisite in arriving at any just 

 conclusions. 



DRAINAGE OF IRRIGATED LANDS. 



The soils in most irrigated regions are deep and 

 loose, containing a small percentage of clay, but rich 

 in available paint food. They are finely divided and 

 possess great capillary attraction for moisture ; more- 

 over, their physical structure is such that they are 

 easily kept in prefect condition by judicious cultiva- 

 tion. Further than this, they permit of the ready 

 passage of water through them after the capillary 

 spaces have been filled. The rainfall is so far deficient 

 that water must be obtained from supplies diverted 

 from mountain-fed streams, brought tf> the land and 

 distributed by ditches. The effect of this application 

 of water to soils, under judicious management, is re- 

 markable, as the abundance and value of the products 

 obtained from such land have proved. (Continued.) 



