■ 210 [Assembly 



2. The method pursued was the same in all three of the pieces 

 operated upon : the first thing was to look for a good outlet to 

 discharge the surplus water that should accumulate in the drains, 

 and then to reach the fountain head, w^hich is as necessary as to 

 have a good outlet ; the depth of the drain is also important, it 

 should be deep enough to be out of the way of frost, and also of 

 the subsoil plow, as I think that implement will be used on drained 

 8oils to advantage and with profit to the farmer. 



I have sunk my drains three feet in all cases where the fall would 

 admit of so doing, some cases to the depth of 4 feet; I think 

 from experience and observation on my farm, that 3 feet is about 

 the right depth for profitable draining, in some cases four may 

 not be any too deep, but that will be determined by any judicious 

 person after a trial or two, better than any rule that can be laid 

 down on the subject. 



After having examined the grounds to be operated upon and 

 located the places for the drains, I took a team and plow and 

 turned a furrow from the ditch each way, like a dead furrow 

 when plowing, then had the loose dirt thrown out that 

 remained wdth a shovel, then took the team and plow, and sunk 

 another furrow in the bottom of the first ; by so doing quite a saving 

 is made in the expense of digging for the drain, the remainder is 

 thrown out with the shovel and spade of the operator, if the 

 ground is firm, the ditch should be as narrow as it can conveni- 

 ently be, six inches at the bottom is wade enough for stone or tile, 

 in a firm subsoil, and it need be no wider on the top than is ne- 

 cessary to perform the operation. 



If the subsoil is very close, 3 or 4 inches at the bottom is wide 

 enough where pipe tile is used ; but on my farm, where I have 

 experimented, 6 inches at the bottom of the ditch is about the 

 right width for either stone or tile. 



I have used pipe tile of two-inch capacity, horse-shoe of 3 inch, 

 and stone, for the past two seasons, in draining, but give the pre- 

 ference to pipe tile over all other material that I have used ; I 

 have also used timber for the same purpose, which was my firs 

 trial ; it operates well, having been laid two seasons. 



