“Now, Albert, you may talk for both of us,” said Jay.

“Our land has to be drained, but it is not exactly the same proposition that George has.  Water stands on our land.  We had thought of putting a drain pipe in.  It seems as if there should be an easier way, but we don’t know one,” Albert stopped and looked at The Chief, who leaned back in his chair and thought a minute.

“I guess, boys, we had better stop and talk over the matter of drainage.  There are three kinds of drains, namely:  the open drain, the blind drain, and the tile drain.  Each one has worked out of the other.  The simplest sort and the one man first used is the open ditch.  A piece of land was covered with water.  A ditch was dug through the land at the place or places where water was standing.  Usually a little stone is thrown into the bottom to help drain the water off.

“Such a drain put out of use quite a bit of land.  So partly because of this a second sort of drain was worked out.  A good body of stone was put into the drain, then earth filled in over this.  Water percolating down through the soil followed along these drainage courses.  Formerly it settled in spots and made boggy land.  Finally a more systematic sort of drain developed from this last one.  Instead of a body of stone, a drain tile was placed on the bottom of the trench.

“Straight off you boys can see which one of these three represents the best all around drain.  Out in the country or where there is no need to think of utilizing every bit of land, the open drain is often seen.  But where every bit of land must be used, the open drain is out of the question.

“All drains come under the head of one of these three types.  After all, boys, since you can put in the tile drain would it not be wiser to do so?”

“Surely,” answered Albert.  “But I should think soil which has been under water for some time, as this has, would be a bit poor.”

“In case you find the soil is sour, as it may be, you can sweeten it up.  There is a certain farm sweetener in lime,” added The Chief.

“We shall plant on our land onions, peas, and tomatoes.” continued Albert.  “We believe that the soil is going to be especially good for onions.”

“I guess I shall have to break in again right here.  Onions need a fine, rich, deep soil.  To be sure moist soil is good for certain varieties of onions.  That is why, I imagine, you thought your soil good.  You must get this soil into better garden condition before you devote it to a crop like onions.  Try a general vegetable garden this season.  Work out the crop value of the soil.

“Philip, do you know what you are going to do?”

“I know that I have everything to do.  I thought perhaps I should do something like this.  We want that old backyard to be really pretty.  The yard is a long narrow strip of land just like most city backyards.  I thought I’d make a walk straight through it.  I want a little fish pond at the end.  I thought I’d lay out a few flower beds with paths in between them.  Mother says she will buy me a few shrubs.”