Vol. LV. No. 2412. 
NEW YORK, APRIL 18, 1896. 
*1.00 PER YEAR. 
IRRIGATION THROUGH TILE DRAINS 
PUMPING WATER UNDER GROUND. 
Irrigation Pays in Wisconsin! 
Last year, we gave an account of an irrigation ex¬ 
periment conducted in 1894 by Prof. F. H. King at 
the Wisconsin Experiment Station. On the station 
farm, is a field containing about five acres underlaid 
by a system of tile drains measuring 7,022 
feet in length. In order to study the 
movement of water through soils under 
ordinary field cultivation, it was proposed 
to force water back into these tiles and 
observe how it disposed of itself. A pump 
and engine, shown at Fig. 84 were con¬ 
nected with the outlet of the drainage 
system into the lake—thus raising the 
water and forcing it into the tiles under 
the crops. It was decided to compare this 
method of tile irrigation with surface 
irrigation and natural rainfall. Accord¬ 
ingly, portions of different fields were cut 
off from the water, while others were 
irrigated by pouring the water directly 
upon the surface. In this way, a fair 
estimate of the difference in yield between 
crops that receive all the water they need, 
and those that depend on rainfall alone, 
was easily obtained. 
Fig. 81 shows four shocks of corn grown 
upon equal areas of land. The large shock 
(to the left) was grown upon land where 
surface irrigation was given. The next 
shock grew on near-by land, into which 
water was forced through the tiles. The 
third shock came from another part of the field where 
tile irrigation was given, and the smallest shock was 
giown alongside the first and second, but on land not 
irrigated. The faii-est comparison is between the 
smallest shock which represents the natui-al rainfall, 
and the two larger ones which show the difference 
between surface and tile watering. 
The tiles through which the water was forced, were 
laid 18 inches below the surface, and in rows 10 
feet apart. As 
may very read¬ 
ily be seen, 
this is not 
the best ar¬ 
rangement for 
such tiles, as in 
order to be 
most effective, 
they should be 
placed nearer 
the surface of 
the soil. When 
placed so deep 
in the soil, a 
portion of the 
water is lost— 
that is, it per¬ 
colates below 
the level at 
which the roots 
feed most ef¬ 
fectively while 
portions of the 
upper soil are often left quite dry. An illustration 
of this is shown at Figs. 82 and 83, which show views 
looking lengthwise and sidewise of the experiment 
rows. The dark spots indicate where the water rose 
to the surface when an attempt was made to saturate 
the soil. Water enough to cover the ground more 
than 15 inches deep, was pumped into the tiles. With 
this immense amount of water, a space about four 
feet wide over each row of tiles, was saturated to 
the surface, while midway between the tiles the 
ground was wet to within nine inches of the surface. 
Thus with the tiles so deep in the ground, more 
water is required to moisten the surface soil than 
when the water can be poured on top of the ground. 
The corn crop for 1895, on this field, gave the fol¬ 
lowing comparative results. The rainfall during the 
growing season was but 4.48 inches. The corn grown 
IRRIGATED AND NON-IRRIGATED CORN. Fig. 81. 
without irrigation yielded an average of 2,768 pounds 
of dr-y matter per acre. In addition to the natural 
rainfall, water equal to 26.60 inches was pumped 
upon the surface of another plot. This gave a yield 
of 10,587 pounds of dry matter per acre. The other 
plot had water enough to cover an acre to a depth of 
30.32 inches pumped into the tiles, and yielded 7,615 
pounds of dry matter per acre. This is a striking 
illustration of the value of irrigation. The addition 
of the water increased the 
weight of the corn by 300 
per cent. There is no 
doubt about it—a plant 
June 17, and on July 12, the whole field was surface 
irrigated. This was done by pumping water to the 
highest point and permitting it to run over and soak 
into the soil. On August 13, after a growth of 56 
days, the clover was cut again and yielded at the rate 
of 1 4-5 ton of hay per acre. On August 19, the field 
was again watered, and again on September 21, at 
which date there was a thick stand of clover on the 
ground, from six to eight inches high. On 
October 3, 58 sheep were turned on this 
clover and, by hurdling, found ample 
pasture for 31 days on 3 1-5 acres. Had no 
water been added, there would have been 
but a single crop of clover, not over 3% 
tons on the entire field. The irrigation 
produced a gain of 5% tons of hay and 31 
days’ pasture for 58 sheep. The cost of 
pumping the water is estimated at SI8, 
which includes the wages of two men for 
three days, and an engine and fuel for the 
same time 
Prof. King spent last summer in Europe, 
and he says that he was greatly surprised 
at the extensive irrigation of meadow and 
pasture lands in southern Europe. Thou¬ 
sands of acres of meadow land are irri¬ 
gated regularly every year, whether the 
season is wet or dry. The common idea 
held abroad, he says, is that the chief 
value of irrigation lies in the fertilizing 
materials held in solution. Great volumes 
of water are permitted to run over mead¬ 
ows during the winter, as it is believed 
that this will deposit quantities of fertility. 
There can be no question about the value 
of a constant and uniform water supply, and all over 
the counti-y, men are studying how to devise means 
for utilizing the waters of ponds or streams. J. II. 
Hale has an ingenious device on his Connecticut place, 
that might be copied on many hill farms. Along the 
ridge at the upper part of the farm, runs a small 
brook. By digging out a small “ pocket ” in this 
brook, sufficient headway is produced to give a con¬ 
stant flow of water through a six-inch pipe which 
runs nearly a mile down to the lower end of the farm. 
This pipe, laid below frost, follows the highest part 
or “ backbone” of the farm, curving around depres¬ 
sions and little hills to avoid extra digging. At in¬ 
tervals, it is 
HOW THE WATER RISES OVER THE TILES. Fig. 82. 
a-thirst is a plant cursed and must be wet-nursed. 
A still more striking illustration of the value of 
water in a dry time is shown in an experiment with 
clover. A part of the field had no tile under it, and 
could not be irrigated. On June 15, the clover was 
cut from this part and yielded about 1 2-5 ton of hay 
per acre. The remainder of the field was irrigated 
by pumping water into the tile, and this, cut June 21, 
yielded at the rate of four tons of hay per acre. On 
tapped by hy¬ 
drants to which 
a hose and 
sprinkler can 
b e attached 
when needed, 
so that the en¬ 
tire farm may 
be watered. A 
portion of the 
water of the 
brook stil 1 
flows away un¬ 
used ; but if 
more water be 
required, a res¬ 
ervoir can be 
built to store 
it—ready for 
use. This is the simplest form of irrigation. No 
pumping is required as the water supply is above the 
land to be irrigated. It is simply a matter of chang¬ 
ing the course of the brook and turning its waters 
into the pipe, so that its own weight will force it 
wherever needed. 
Years ago, the Southern farmers threw vast quanti¬ 
ties of cotton seed into the rows—just to get rid of it. 
Now, when they are haunted by the ghost of an un- 
SIDEWISE VIEW OF TILE-IRRIGATED FIELD. Fig. 83. 
