ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 63 



Many are deterred from undertaking the drainage of 

 their lands because of the expense ; but every farmer can 

 drain a few acres of land each year at a trifling addition to 

 his yearly expenses, and the small capital invested immedi- 

 ately becomes productive — lands which before were nearly 

 valueless paying for draining with one or two crops, and 

 paying large yearly profits thereafter. 



The time has arrived in this part of the West when 

 farmers must produce more from their lands to make farm- 

 ing profitable. Cheap lands are becoming scarce, and the 

 tillable portions of old farms have by long cultivation 

 become, in too many cases, so exhausted as to produce 

 unprofitable crops, and the necessity is now fairly upon us 

 for draining and opening up for successful cultivation these 

 rich undrained lands. 



Patten (called upon) : He could give no rule in this 

 matter, nor lay down any law to follow. Fie didn't want 

 to take up the time of the convention. We had many 

 farmers who were using drainage, some one kind and some 

 another. He would recommend the tiles. If a man was 

 rich he could afford to let his land go without drainage ; 

 but if he was poor he couldn't afford to let a foot go un- 

 drained. He would lay down no rule, either in regard to 

 size of tile or the depth needed. You must be governed 

 entirely by the land. He had made mistakes in draining, 

 but he had found it profitable. Had used too small a tile. 

 Had used from two to six inch tile at the depth of from 

 two and one -half to nine feet. Your grade should be 

 even, and at the mouth of the tile well protected. You 

 would find that the cattle got at the mouth of the drain and 

 destroyed it. Take a two-inch plank and level it off; the 

 cattle will let it alone if level. It didn't answer to let the 

 line sag, for, if you let it get out at the start, a fine sand 

 would run through and clog them up. Make the grade two 

 inches to each lOO feet ; you may need more of a grade if 

 you run near a hedge. The fine fibrous roots of the hedge 



