VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 81 



may be as cheaply made. They are however so little used in 

 Vermont that I know of no place where they are manufactured 

 at the present time within the state, and frequently the freight 

 will cost more than the tile. If there was a demand they could 

 be made at any brick yard about as cheaply as bricks. 



Two things are absolutely essential in draining, viz.: a good 

 outlet and a continuons fall from head to outlet, and it is better 

 to have the fall as uniform as possible. With a great fall more 

 water will pass off and the size of the drain can be reduced, 

 but successful work can be done with a very slight fall, a few 

 inches to the mile makes quite a rapid stream. If a continuous 

 fall is not maintained the flow of water will be checked and sed- 

 iment which is constantly working into all drains will soon be- 

 come compact and stop the flow of water entirely. 



The poetry of draining all comes in after the job is done, 

 and of those who are afraid of mud on hands or boots or who 

 have much " town business " or a steady job for all spare time 

 at the corner grocery, I do not expect to make converts, 

 but having shown the advantages of draining and that, in 

 many cases at least, it will pay, I will briefly give some hints 

 as to how the work is best performed. 



In draining low land the main ditch should follow the 

 greatest depression, if short cuts are made the water or portion 

 of it will find the old channels, and you will not have a per- 

 fect drainage; branch ditches may be dug upon either side as 

 often as seems necessary. 1 know of no set rule for distance. 

 If the main lines are rightly located, additional branches can 

 be added later if all the water is not reached at first. Branch 

 ditches should not enter the main line at right angles and their 

 bottom should be a few inches higher than the main ditch, so 

 that all sand and soil that works in may pass off readily. As 

 to the best depth, again I can give no rule that will fit all 

 cases. There has been more controversy in regard to this 

 than all other matters pertaining to under-draining. Other 

 things being equal, the deeper the ditch the wider space 

 will be drained. My own experience is that a moderately 

 deep drain is less likely to choke than a shallow one. But the 

 nature of the sub-soil and the amount of fall must determine 

 that. The cost of digging two ditches three feet deep would 

 not be as great as one of five feet deep, and a three feet ditch 

 may be in some cases as efficacious as the deeper one. I 

 should advocate a depth of three feet at least, when possible 

 and more if it seemed to be required. In very few soils will 

 there be any danger of placing the drain too deep, as the water 

 will find it, audit becomes a question of cost and expediency. 

 In opening the ditch always begin at the lower end, and 

 where the land will hold a team use a plow to loosen the dirt 



