490 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXIV, No. 6 
minne;sota conditions 
In the late fall of 1920, the writer removed to Minnesota. This 
State does not have drained peat bogs or swamps on the wide range of 
soils that occur in Winconsin. Practically all of the Minnesota peats 
that have been drained are of the “high lime” type. A large pro¬ 
portion of them are in sloughs and depressions of the low ground of the 
northwestern glacial drift whose soil is composed almost entirely of 
ground-up shale and limestone. The peats themselves are built up 
mostly of plants of a high botanical order. 
The low lime peats of Minnesota lie largely to the north and northeast 
overlying the more acid, northeastern drift and the rock outcrops of 
that part of the State. They are derived mostly from the remains of 
plants of a low order, in which the mosses predominate. Low lime 
peats in Minnesota have not yet proved their economic importance. 
Underdrainage of any soils is not far advanced in the northeastern part 
of the State and the farming of peat can be said to have not yet begun. 
GRAND RAPIDS STATION 
row UMH P^AT 
Opportunity was offered to investigate only one tract in Minnesota 
where a low lime bog had been drained for a number of years. In fact, 
it is the only one known in the State where concrete tile has been used. 
This was on the State experimental farm at Grand Rapids, Minn. The 
tract was tiled in 1910 under the direction of the State experiment station 
at St. Paul, Minn., Prof. J. T. Stewart being directly in charge of the work. 
The tile lines were laid an average of about 3X to 4 feet deep. Part of 
the area tiled was cultivated experimentally. The rest was left in its 
natural condition. In 1918 the system showed signs that it was not 
functioning properly. Water did not drain away after storms as it 
should. In 1918 almost the entire system was taken up and relaid. 
It was found that about one-fourth of the tile had completely collapsed or 
were not fit to put back in the ground. The design of the system was 
somewhat altered. The 75 per cent of the tile that were in fair condi- . 
tion were used a second time and the balance was replaced with clay tile. 
Plate 5, A, B, and C, shows different views of one of the better tile that 
was stock piled and kept for use. Disintegration was not serious on 
the outside at top and bottom, but was considerable on the sides. The 
top inside shows no signs of disintegration, but the bottom inside is very 
badly eaten. 
In June, 1921, the lines were examined. Plate 6, A, shows the speci¬ 
mens taken. No. i was from the cultivated area on the central line 
which was relaid. The specimen came from 50 feet south of the fence. 
No. 2 was taken from the same line 50 feet north of the fence in unculti¬ 
vated peat. It is interesting to note the greater disintegration of the 
tile in the raw peat. The peat at the Grand Rapids station is very 
fibrous and was cut out by ^e tilers in large pieces. When these were 
thrown back into the trench they frequently formed an arch over parts 
of the tile without touching it. The results of this are shown in No. 2, 
Plate 6, A, and the actual conditions in the ground in Plate 5, D. On 
all of the body of the marsh the ground water would drop below the tile 
lines throughout the greater part of the season. No. 3, Plate 6, A, was 
taken from mineral soil in a part of a line that was not relaid. This was 
