UNDERDRAININQ. 147 



however. I have been in the habit of laying- stone drains, but I 

 thought it might be advisable to ascertain which was the most 

 expensive, and 1 bought a thousand tiles having the egg-shaped 

 cavity, as manufactured in Westbrook. I found that I could do 

 it some ten cents cheaper per rod ; but I found. at the same time 

 that Judge French's advice in regard to the use of the round tile, 

 was very good. You will see that the oval tile is of such a 

 form that we have to lay it edgewise. When we dig a trench, it is 

 almost impossible to make the bottom perfectly flat, and of course 

 the tiles will have a tendency to lean one way or the other, and 

 there is a difficulty in keeping them in the true position. I 

 remedied that by taking strips of birch bark and folding it over 

 the tiles, so that if they moved either way they would have to 

 break the bark, and then put the earth around them to hold them 

 in position. 



There is one other reason why the cylindrical form is to be pre- 

 ferred. Almost always, the tiles get sprung or warped a little in 

 burning, so that the ends will be a little canted, and if you have a 

 cylindrical tile you can roll it over and make an almost perfect 

 joint. If you have an egg-shaped tile, you may have to crack ofi" 

 half an inch on one side, and you may have to try half a dozen 

 tiles before you find one turned the other way, so as to make a 

 joint. 



Now, this is actual experience ; there is nothing theoretical 

 about it, and I, for one, feel very earnest that this recommendation 

 should go out to the farmers of the State. The Superintendent of 

 the State Reform School, in Cumberland county, where they manu- 

 facture tiles, told me that at an expense of twenty-five or thirty 

 dollars, he could change his dies, and when once changed, he had 

 much rather manufacture them circular than oval, 'for the reason, 

 that they could be more easily handled, and were not so liable to 

 break. He was satisfied that it would be better for them to change 

 their dies and manufacture cylindrical tiles, but he did not want 

 to do it until he knew the farming community wanted that kind of 

 tile. I am satisfied that every man who tries itwill bo convinced 

 that the cylindrical tiles must be the best. 



Col. Sweet. Mr. Perley speaks of putting birch bark over the 

 joints. Is it necessary to put anything over the joints, if a fit is 

 made ? 



Mr. Perley. Perhaps not absolutely necessary, but still I would 

 do it, for the reason that it is very difficult to pack the earth round 



