934 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



restraint of trade in any form, and this court solemnly 

 adjudged many years ago that Congress meant what it 

 thus said in clear and explicit words and that it could 

 not add to the words of the act. But those who con- 

 demn the action of Congress are now, in effect, informed 

 that the courts will allow such restraints of interstate 

 commerce as are shown not to be unreasonable or un- 

 due. 



"The supreme law of the land, which is binding alike 

 upon all upon presidents, congresses, the courts and the 

 people gives to Congress, and to Congress alone, author- 

 ity to regulate interstate commerce., and when Congress 

 forbids any restraint of such commerce, in any form, all 

 must obey the mandate. To overreach the action of Con- 

 gress merely by judicial construction that is, by indirec- 

 tion is a blow at the integrity of our governmental sys- 

 tem and in the end will prove most dangerous to all." 



It would seem plain to an ordinary man that there 

 can be no such thing as a reasonable restraint of trade 

 no more than there could be reasonable or unreasonable 

 stealing or murdering; there may be degrees in wicked- 

 ness, but let us call things by the right name and not try 

 to find excuses for wrongs, whether committed by a 

 billion dollar corporation or by the highwayman at the point 

 of a gun. 



and the well C should be so located that the ditch or drain 

 C D will have sufficient fall to carry off the water. If a 

 smooth tile be used to drain the swamp a fall of 3 inches 

 per hundred ft. will be sufficient. The well C should be sunk 

 as near the end of the gravel layer at B as possible so that 

 the position shown in the sketch is not exactly correct since 

 by moving the well toward B the length of the drain C D 

 is shortened, which is an advantage. A ditch should also be 

 cut from the lowest point of the swamp into the well which 

 will drain off the surface water ; the water which is contained 

 in the gravel layer A B will now rise in well C quite readily 

 and flow off through the drain C D into the natural water 

 course. 



The above analysis shows how necessary it is to approach 

 all problems of irrigation and drainage intelligently. A few 

 dollars spent, or sometimes only a few hours time of in- 

 vestigation will bring splendid results. It is just such work 

 of study and investigation which has wrought the tremendous 

 changes in the arid west and the swamps of the South ; of 

 course when capital stands ready to support the brain and 

 brawn of the country the results are large and comprehensive, 

 according to the large units involved. Thus the reclamation 



Where land requires drainage it is neces- 

 A Common sary in most cases to make a study of all 



Drainage the conditions involved in order to reach 



Problem the best and most satisfactory solution to 



Analyzed the problem. The essential thing is to 



to get the surplus water from the land in 

 the most economical manner. Of course in many cases when 

 the topography simply indicates a ditch or drain to a water 

 course, a line of levels run will quickly point the way for the 

 ditch or tile and the problem is solved. 



There are, however, other and more complicated prob- 

 lems encountered which require more and considerable study 

 and investigation. This is particularly true with seepage 

 water where the water follows water-bearing strata under 

 ground such as sand and gravel for long distances and when 

 these strata end abruptly the water will rise to the surface 

 and form a swamp. An assumed case of this nature is 

 illustrated in the accompanying sketch, which represents a 

 typical section through land in which the geological strata 

 are shown, the upper layer being ordinary soil, then comes a 

 layer A B of gravel inclined toward B where it abruptly 

 terminates; below this gravel stratum there is a layer E F of 

 impervious clay. - 



It is easily seen that the water which follows the vein of 

 gravel when it reaches the point B will have to back up 

 as the layer of clay below will not permit its flow to the 

 natural water course at F. The water in consequence presses up- 

 ward and as the soil on top of the gravel offers less resistr 

 ance it percolates through it and stands on top of the ground 

 to a more or less extent depending on the amount of water 

 carried by the gravel stratum and the pressure which is ex- 

 erted by the elevation of A over B. 



To drain a swamp of this nature the best method will be 

 as outlined in the sketch. The nearby water course F is the 

 starting point and a line of levels should be run from F to C, 



of 100,000 acres of swamp land by the introduction of a mil- 

 lion dollar plant consisting of dredges, pumping plants and 

 channels causes much comment and is heralded over the 

 whole world. 



Now, if 10,000 farmers should each reclaim 10 acres of 

 swamp on his own holdings in the manner indicated above the 

 results would be more beneficial since the hundred thousand 

 acres restored would benefit 10,000 families directly instead 

 of a corporation which would use the land so restored per- 

 haps by asking unreasonable and prohibitive prices. At any 

 rate there should be no farmer in this country nor anywhere 

 else who has waste land on his domain without making efforts 

 right away to turn the same to use; if the land needs drain- 

 age to set at once about the task to provide it and to do so 

 by studying out the best and most economical method. 



TT j j. The Primer of Hydraulics will be ready in 



j s a book form on or about January 1st, 1912. 



Necessary Study It will be a splendid book for any one 

 in Irrigation interested in irrigation or drainage. Its 

 price will be $2.50 net for cloth bound 

 copies ; it will however be sold for $2.00 a copy to all those- 

 who renew their subscription to the IRRIGATION AGE or to new 

 subscribers to the IRRIGATION AGE if they send $3.00 for the 

 Primer of Hydraulics and the IRRIGATION AGE for one year. 



The primer of Hydraulics is the first technical book which 

 has been designed for the use of the everyday practical busi- 

 ness man, mechanic and irrigationist on this subject. A 

 knowledge of the principles of hydraulics is indispensible 

 for any one interested in reclamation or irrigation, and here 

 is an opportunity to obtain that knowledge at small cost and 

 some study. 



Some hints were given in a former issue how to study 

 the "Primer of Hydraulics" to obtain the best results, and 

 the author will be glad to help every one who is interested. 



