SECRETARY'S REPORT. 87 



other poisonous substance. Here they not only stop, but soon 

 become diseased, and even paralyzed, and when the hour of 

 their extremity comes, cannot descend, and, consequently, the 

 plants burn up ; but remove this layer of stagnant water in sea- 

 son, and the roots descend freely, and find moisture enough. 

 By drainage, we have also other means of security against 

 drought in the fact above alluded to, that by the admission of 

 air, the soil is gradually deepened, and also in the fact, that thus 

 the capillary action of the soil is so brought into exercise, that 

 water readily ascends from a water-table of four feet below 

 the surface, and yields a constant and adequate supply. There 

 are other points of interest connected with the subject of drain- 

 age, which I would be glad to dwell upon, but as many of tlicni 

 may be suo-gestcd by the report and statements which follow, 

 will only remark here, that drains, if properly made, become of 

 "•reater efficacy year by year, as the water gradually finds its 

 way into them by channels of its own construction, by cracks 

 once opened, by the passage ways left by earth worms, &c. ; or 

 4is a Scotch farmer once phrased it, "the water gets into the 

 habit of going there," and habits, as we all know, are more 

 easily continued than broken up. 



As for modes of construction, the main point is to secure a 

 perfect channel or conduit. It may be done by laying stone in 

 proper form, and filling above with a foot or so in depth of the 

 ^ame material broken small, after which the earth should be 

 trodden solid over. Brush drains do better than none ; I have 

 some which have done good service for nearly ten years, and 

 may last a while longer. But the mode which all experience 

 ■declares best, as combining durability, efficacy, and cheapness, 

 is to use drain tile made of clay, and burned as brick, of tubu- 

 lar form, with a sole to lie on the bottom, two or three inches 

 in diameter of cavitv, and about fourteen inclies in length."^ 

 These are laid in continuous line on the bottom of the ditch, 



* I am happy to add, that these may probably be obtained in Portland, at moderate cost, the 

 ■coming season, as a machine for the purpose has been obtained, and other arrangements made 

 for their manufacture. They have hitlieito been obtained mostly from Mbany, N. Y., at Jiigh 

 additional cost for freiglit ; the price there being twelve dollars per thousand pieces, for tile of two 

 inch bore, and eighteen dollars for thoae.af tJireo inch, v'iiich is abou.t sixteen and twenty-five 

 •cents per rod in Ifuxgtli. 



