Farm drainage: The Principles, Processes, and Effects of Draining Land with Stones, Wood, Plows, and Open Ditches, and Especially with TilesFrench, Henry F. (Henry Flagg)
Science
Farm drainage: The Principles, Processes, and Effects of Draining Land with Stones, Wood, Plows, and Open Ditches, and Especially with Tiles
French, Henry F. (Henry Flagg)
Drainage
The saturation often falls to 30 per cent., but with great variability.
Evaporation goes on most rapidly when the per centage of saturation is
lowest; and, as before observed, the cause of the excess of evaporation
in this country over that of England is the excessive humidity of that
climate and the dryness of this. It has also been said that there is
greater need for drainage in the United States on this account; and, as
the warmth induced by draining is somewhat, in its effect, a
merchantable product, it may be well to consider it for a moment in that
light.
First: The drained land comes into condition for working, a week or ten
days earlier in the Spring than other lands.
Secondly: The growth of the crops is quickened all through the Summer by
an increase of several degrees in the temperature of the soil.
Thirdly: The injurious effects of frost are kept off several days later
in the Fall.
Of the value of these conditions, the farmer, who has lost his crops for
lack of a few more warm days, may make his own estimates. In Roxbury,
Mr. I. P. Rand heats up a portion of his land, for the purpose of
raising early plants for the market, by means of hot water carried by
iron pipes under the surface of the ground. In this manner he heats an
area equal to 100 feet by 12 feet, by burning about one ton of coal a
month. The increase of temperature which, in this case, is caused by
that amount of coal, can, in the absence of direct measurement, only be
estimated; but it, probably, will average about 30 deg., day and night,
throughout the month. In an acre the area is 36.4 times as great as that
heated by one ton of coal; the cost being in direct proportion to the
area, 36.4 tons of coal would be required to heat an acre; which, at $6
per ton, would cost $217.40. To heat an acre through 10 deg., would cost,
then, $72.47. It may be of interest to consider how much coal would be
required to evaporate from an undrained field that amount of water which
might be carried off by under-drains, but which, without them, is
evaporated from the surface. It may be taken as an approximate estimate,
that the evaporation from the surface of an undrained retentive field,
is equal to two inches vertical depth of water for each of the months of
May, June, July, and August; which is equal to fifty-four thousand three
hundred and five gallons, or eight hundred and sixty-two hogsheads per
acre for each month. If this quantity of water were evaporated by means
of a coal fire, about 22-2/3 tons of coal would be consumed, which, at
$6 a ton, would cost $136. The cost of evaporating the amount of water
which would pass off in one day from an acre would be about $4.53. It is
probable that about half as much water would be evaporated from
thorough-drained land, though, by some experiments, the proportion has
been made greater--in which case the loss of heat resulting from an
excess of moisture evaporated from undrained retentive land, over that
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account