INTRODUCTION. 7 



man are more weighty? While this is true of the small 

 farmer who delights in high-grade and^ sometimes, 

 artistic agriculture, there are large tracts of fertile land 

 lacking only suitable drainage to fit them for the most 

 profitable cultivation. The enterprising agriculturist, 

 be his interests large or small, will find an ample field 

 for the exercise of such knowledge as he may choose 

 to acquire in the theory and practice of land drainage. 

 Nor should he fail to avail himself of all opportunities 

 presented for mastering this useful subject. The fact 

 that our national government and our State experiment 

 stations are devoting marked attention to such subjects 

 as **The Movement of Ground-water,'* *' Moisture 

 and Crop Distribution, " * ^ Mechanics of Soil Moisture, ' ' 

 ** Moisture Determination in Soils,'' indicates that 

 these subjects and their bearing upon soil drainage are 

 worthy of the most careful study by practical men. 



In the discussion of topics pertaining to general farm- 

 ing, fruit-growing or stock-raising as given in the agri- 

 cultural papers or at the sessions of Farmers' Institutes, 

 the subject of soil drainage takes a prominent place, 

 and the value of such an improvement of the soil is em- 

 phasized and its advantages enlarged upon by all pro- 

 gressive farmers. Like every other operation in which 

 the management of the soil is concerned there is a 

 right way and a wrong way of performing it: there 

 may be a good way and a better way ; there is only 

 one best way. Some soils require no artificial drain- 

 age, some a little, and some a great deal, in order to 

 yield the best Tesults. Good judgment and some 

 knowledge are required to adapt the method of im- 

 provement to the land to be treated.^ The landowner 



