VOL. 1  NO. 1

THE IOWA FARMSTEAD

1920

   DRAINAGE CONDITIONS IN IOWA
Department of Soils

  W.H. STEVENSON                                  G. I. CHRISTIE

      Twenty years ago our present Secretary of Agriculture, Hon. James Wilson said: “One third of the lands of this state (Iowa) would be greatly benefited by being under-drained.  A considerable portion is useless without it.  A through draining of Iowa would surely add one-third to the productive powers, and this is better for the farmers than adding one-third to their lands.   
     Although two decades have passed since these words were spoken, the farmers and landowners of Iowa have no yet drained their lands.  Thousands and tens of thousands of acres in the state were partially or wholly unproductive this past season because of a lack of drainage.  The losses resulting from these conditions have been enormous.  In the aggregate they amount to many millions of dollars.
     This great annual loss to the landowners of Iowa induced the Department of Soils of the Iowa State College to institute an extended investigation of present drainage conditions in this state.

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