34 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



were no irregular undulations. Of course, it is impossible, in 

 an irregular field, to have the drains run directly down the 

 slope, and at the same time be parallel to each other, which 

 would be the most economical. Drains will work to the best 

 advantage at a certain distance from each other, and the mo- 

 ment we vary the parallel direction, we either draw them too 

 far apart, and have incomplete work, or crowd them too near 

 together, and make the work more costly than is necessary. 

 Consequently, there must be judgment used in laying out a 

 system of drains, to .make such a compromise between the up 

 and down hill slope and the parallel lines we desire to have, as 

 shall best accomplish the purpose, without being too expensive. 



Of course, in laying a drain, the great point is the question 

 of outlet. Unless we have a good free outlet, from which the 

 water discharges in the open air, not backed up by a stream 

 nor by an irregularity of the ground, there is great uncertainty 

 as to the permanence of our drains. There must be a free 

 flow, so that the silt that is washed into the drain shall be 

 immediately carried away. The outlet being a good one, and 

 the line for the main drain being run along at the foot of the 

 hill, so as to have a sufficient fall, — and by sufficient, I mean six 

 inches in a hundred feet, — and then short drains being laid to 

 lead all the water into the main drain, and have it run freely 

 to the outlet, we are in a position to have the work properly 

 done at reasonable cost ; and, if we can get our tiles without 

 difficulty, we may do a sensible, a useful and economical job. 



One mistake that is frequently made is, in neglecting to lay a 

 main drain, each drain being allowed to discharge either into an 

 open ditch or out of the side of the hill, so that along the hill- 

 side there are instead of one outlet, twenty outlets, that play 

 the mischief with the drains. They need the utmost care and 

 attention. They afford ready means of access to field-mice and 

 other animals, which get into the pipes and sometimes stop them 

 up. Our work may be very much injured if we do not take 

 care of each outlet; and if we count the cost of a main drain, 

 connecting the laterals, and carrying off all the water to one 

 point, we shall find that the expense will be very small compared 

 with the labor that it will be necessary to give, when no such 

 main drain is provided. 

 The plan of drainage having been made, the next thing to 



