DRAINING WITH TILES. 



BY H. F. FRENCH. 



Euougli lias been said, and Trrittcn, and observed, to con- 

 vince all enliglitcned farmers, that a great proportion of 

 the lands in New England which prove in the end most 

 valuable, require to be first relieved of surplus water. 

 This is true of all our low meadows, and a great deal of 

 upland, especially springy hill-sides. 



Though draining with tiles is, without doubt, the cheapest 

 ond best mode of doing this, and although I remarked in a 

 recent article that we have not arrived at the luxury of 

 using drain tiles, I find that our fartners are resolving that 

 they will act in this, as in other matters, on the principle 

 that what is worth doing is worth doing well ; and will not 

 be satisfied till the best mode of draining is adopted. 



To keep up with the spirit of the age, I have myself 

 opened some hundred rods of drains on my farm, and pro- 

 cured tile? all the way from Albany to lay in them. This 

 being my first attempt, I can only speak now from observa- 

 tion, and the information I have gathered from men and 

 books on the subject. As this subject must occupy the at- 

 tention of our farmers more^than any other, for many years 

 to come, it being the next great step to be taken in the 

 march of improvement on all our old farms, it will be 

 deemed excusable to begin at the beginning in our discus- 

 sion. Tho' milk be "for babes," it cannot injure full grown 

 men to taste it occasionally. So let us first answer. 



What are Drain Tiles ? — Drain tiles are made of clay, 

 similar to brick clay, moulded by a machine in tubes, usual- 



