58 



THE IKKIGATION AGE. 



How to Drain Farm Lands. 



In addition to other necessary 

 elements, soil must contain a cer- 

 tain percentage of water in order 

 to yield the largest possible returns. 

 A perfectly dry soil is dead, and 

 worthless for producing crops. On 

 the other hand, a soil completely 

 saturated with water will produce 

 nothing but aquatic plants, and 

 hence is worthless for cereals and 

 other valuable products. 



Surface drainage is accomplished 

 by open ditches, which in addition 

 to receiving and removing water 

 from the surface of land contiguous 

 to them, may, if sufficiently deep, 

 act as receiving drains for water 

 which percolates through a porous 

 substratum through which the 

 ditches are excavated, and under 

 such conditions facilitate under- 

 drainage as well as carry off water 

 from the surface. 



Underdrainage is that which di- 

 rectly affects the soil and puts it in 

 condition for plant production. The 

 use of drain tiles for this purpose t 

 introduced in England about the 

 year 1810, has increased to such an 

 extent, and the art of using them 

 has been so perfected, that the tile 

 drain is now regarded as the best 

 type of underdrain. Well burned 

 clay pipes of circular form, 1 to 2 



feet long, are laid through the soil 

 in a continuous line upon such a 

 grade that any water which finds 

 iis way into them will be carried by 

 gravity to some lower point, thus 

 conveying the surplus away. The 

 water enters the lines of tile- 

 through openings left between the 

 ends of the "joints," as they are 

 commonly called. 



The drain being surrounded by- 

 soil, the spaces of which are filled 

 with water, the water in the soil 

 flows by gravity through the crev- 

 ices between the ends of the riles, 

 thus entering the drain, and passes 

 off more or less rapidly, according 

 to the grade upon which the !in>> is 

 laid. The process does not leave 

 the soil without moisture, but only 

 removes the surplus, leaving just 

 enough moisture to keep the soil 

 in a fertile condition. 



In order to get the best results in 

 a system of drainage, the work 

 should be laid out with a leveling 

 instrument. No one can be relied 

 upon to guess a grade correctly, 

 nor can any one arrange a system 

 ot grades with economy, and at the 

 same time get the best possible 

 work out of the system, without 

 first knowing the facts as deter- 

 mined by a dependable leveling in- 

 strument. The slight grades upon 

 which lines of tiles mav be laid '.vith 



satisfactory results are a surprise to 

 many ; indeed they were regarded 

 as entirely impracticable until the 

 experience of recent years proved 

 the contrary. Lines of drain tiles 

 laid on a grade as low as one-half 

 an inch per 100 feet in firm soil will 

 operate successfully, providing the 

 lines are not too long, while drains 

 laid on grades of 1 to 2 inches per 

 100 feet may be counted by the 

 hundreds of miles and their suc- 

 cessful operation is attested by 

 thousands of acres of cultivated 

 lands. It is not difficult to impress 

 upon the mind of any one who will 

 give the matter attention the fact 

 that such work must be laid out 

 with accuracy, and this can not be 

 done without the aid of a depend- 

 able telescope farm level. 



The success of thousands of 

 farmers in draining their lands with 

 modern methods emphasizes the 

 fact that every farmer shouH bv 

 all means have a dependable farm 

 level. This little instrument will 

 pay for itself in the saving effected 

 by eliminating several days' fee for 

 the surveyor or civil engineer ; and 

 the owner will be equipped for life 

 with an instrument which will en- 

 able him to do his own terracing, 

 ditching, irrigation work, drainage 

 work, road building, leveling, house 

 foundation work, running fences, 

 laying out orchards, etc. 



Factory Prices for the Asking 

 on Genuine Witte Engines 



THE genuine Witte conceded the best farm engine in America now of- 

 fered at actual wholesale prices. Yes, this is the engine that has lead 

 the gasoline engine field for 25 years. Dealers have been getting the 

 highest prices for the Witte. Now you can got one at actual factory price what 

 the dealer paid and have the finest engine in your county. 



Our Gas Well Saves You Many Dollars More 



V We do more than give you ordinary factory prices. We are the only manufacturers who 

 ' have our own gas well. Power, testing, forge, foundry and heating fuels cost us nothing. 

 You get the benefits. But you couldn't afford to own any other engine even if the Witte 

 r cost twice as much because an average of 1 cent for every horse-power per hour cuts 

 j gasoline bills iii half rays for your engine jn no time. 



Every part guc.rant;ed 5 years full rated horse power on minimum gasoline guaranteed too. 

 |Built in all sizes from 1/2 to 40 h. p., every one tested to 20% overload, 



WRITE FOR 60 DAYS FREE TRIAL OFFER 



d complete, direct, factory price 

 jcial offer bulletin. We expos< 

 it will startle you. Remember, " 

 ince at an engine of quality, 

 mtatlon at a small pri 

 Jded or work to be do: 



WITTE IRON 



BOSTROM'S FARM LEVEL 



has been on the market nearly 30 years 

 and the sales get bigger every year. 

 We are proud of that record, ad as the 



BOSTROMJMPROVEO 



LEVEL 



WEIGHT 

 IS LBS 



Price $15 

 which has Telescope enabling you to 

 read the Target over 400 yards away, is 

 the most simple, accurate, durable and 

 complete outfit ever made for 



Irrigating, Ditching, Tile Draining, Etc., 



Many of the largest hardware dealers from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific now carry it in stock. 



Write today for description of Level and give 

 name and address of your local hardware dealer. 



Bostrom-Brady Manufacturing Co. 



Madison Avenue, Atlanta, Ga. 



Every 1 Part 

 Guaranteed 



Send $1.00 for The Irrigation Age, 

 one year, and the Primer of Irriga- 

 tion, a 260-page finely illustrated 

 work for beginners in irrigation. 



