244 MANAGEMENT OF MEADOWS. 



was on land that, before draining, produced absolutely 

 nothing. 



How many of our Tennessee acres are in a condition to be 

 improved every one can guess. We have wet lands in 

 abundance, not only on our river bottoms, but also on the 

 uplandb. These lands are as full of fertility as it is possible 

 for lands to be, and it only requires a small outlay for 

 drainage, to develope and utilize this wealth. 



Tiles can be bought at any of the seed stores at about $16 

 per thousand, and should be put in about three to four feet 

 deep, the last depth being preferred, if there is slope 

 enough to carry off the water. If a branch of water runs 

 through a meadow it can be used as a main, the side drains 

 running obliquely to it. The drains should be constructed 

 so that water will run down them, and not stand in them. 

 The side drains should be laid from thirty to sixty feet apart, 

 according to the amount of water in the soil. The cost is 

 from $50 to $100 per acre. But this is where the only 

 method of ditching to plant the tiles is by a spade at 

 twenty or thirty cents per yard. A much cheaper, and 

 equally effective plan is to select and lay off the points for 

 the ditches, and then, with a long, sharp, bull-tongue plow, 

 run several furrows, with two horses, to the width desired, 

 say eighteen inches or two feet, throw out the loose soil 

 with shovels and then run again with the plow in the same 

 track. When the ditch gets too deep for the plow, fasten a 

 chain to the clevis so as to lengthen the distance from the 

 horses to the plow, making the horses straddle the ditch, 

 and by continuing to lengthen the chain there will be 

 no difficulty in plowing to any desired depth. If this plan 

 is pursued a ditch can be dug at a very insignificant cost, 

 and then the tiles can be laid in the bottom and the ditch 

 filled up. 



But a drain can be made in a much cheaper manner than 

 this. Should there be plenty of surface rock near, lay one 

 on the bottom of the ditch, one on each side of the bottom 



