112 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



The operation of draining the field commenced Dec. 8, 

 1857. The open ditcli was first cleared to a depth, at the head, 

 of three feet, and sinking five feet eight inches at the outlet of 

 the field. In no place was the fall less than three inches in one 

 hundred feet. Having thus prepared the bed for the main 

 drains, I directed side drains to be dug, running at right angles 

 with the main, commencing at a depth of two and one-half feet, 

 and running to the depth required at the junction with the 

 main. The side drains were dug at different distances from 

 each other, according to the quality of the land — in some cases 

 forty feet apart, in others less, as shown on the plan. {See 

 next page.) 



When the ditches were laid open throughout the field, I 

 commenced at the upper portion to lay the tiles, taking care 

 to keep the laying of the laterals and the main uniformly 

 finished as I advanced in the work. The main drain consists 

 of two rows of four-inch tile laid contiguously. The laterals 

 consist of two-inch tiles. I used mostly sole-tiles; using a 

 few shoe-tiles only when the manufacturer's stock of sole- 

 tiles had failed. The drains were filled as fast as the tiles 

 were laid. 



Although the weather was unusually mild for the season, 

 while the work was going on, still the frost of December 

 increased the difficulty of working in the stiff, heavy clay, 

 and added to the expense of the operation. The job was 

 finished, and the drains covered against freezing on the 24th. 

 The expense of the work was $51.25 per acre, exclusive of 

 hauling the tiles from Manchester, which was performed with 

 my own teams. The cost of the four-inch tiles was §40 per 

 thousand — of the two-inch tiles $12 per thousand. I contracted 

 for digging the drains at 27| cents per rod, and paid an expert 

 ordinary day's wages for laying the tiles. The joints of the 

 tiles were snugly covered with wisps of meadow hay laid com- 

 pactly over them — a small item of expense which I have not 

 included in my estimate per aCrc. As the field is very flat, 

 1 was obliged to employ a civil engineer from time to time to 

 give me the levels of my main drain, the flow of water not 

 always being sufficient to guide me. 



And now, having described the process, I desire to give the 

 result. This field, which had long been almost incapable of 



