Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1875 — The Action of Drains [ARTICLE]

The Action of Drains

In my travels among farmers, and especially among those who believe in drains and their attendant improvements, I am surprised that many do not properly understand the manner, or rather the position, in which the water enters the drain. It is of course understood that a drain only removes the surplus water, and hence a common barrel filled with earth may be taken as the representative of the under- soil. If into this barrel we pour water until the earth becomes saturated the surplus will* run over the top and our barrel represents a soil too wet fer cropping. If, previous to putting in the water, we make holes in the side of the barrel at different distances from the

bottom, they will represent so many drains laid at different depths. If we now pour in the water we will find that it will first sink to the bottom of the barrel until all the soil is saturated, and then the surplus will rise and run out at the lowest opening; if this affords it vent as fast as poured in at the top it will rise no higher, but if the supply exceeds the ability of the opening the level will rise until it does find escape, even though this be over the top. Ho it is with the open soil. All soils have a point at which the water permanently utands; in seme places on high land this point is far below the surface, and in low lands too near the surface for successful farming. When rain falls it sinks into the soil until it meets thjs water-level and rises in the exact proportion to the amount of rain; if deeper openings are not found the low ground is overflowed, but if properly-constructed drains are laid the surplus escapes before approaching sufficiently near the surface to interfere with the crops. Even where the drain is too small to immediately give vent to all the surplus water no harm ensues, because the action of the drain is kept up to extent after the rain ceases to fall and until the level is reduced to that of the bottom of the drain. We may then assume that water enters the drain from the bottom, and that on soft ground drains are often closed by the soft mud or quicksand being forced up from below, and very seldom if ever from material from above; hence on this kind of bottom it is safest to use narrow boards under the tile. Theoretically, tbis water-level should be at the bottom of the tile all over the drained land, but practically it is found to rise between the drains to a height which varies with the nature of the soil and the distance of the drains apart. This is chargeable to the capillary action of the soil, raising the water like a sponge.— Cor. Country Gentleman.