372 State Board of Agkiocltdre, <fec. 



When the border of a level wet piece whicli is to be 

 drained is higher land out of wliich water seems to ooze, 

 my practice has been to rnn a lateral parallel with the 

 higli land and at its base to catch the same, although w^ri- 

 ters advocate the running of laterals up into the high lands 

 and parallel to each other, wliich may be the best, but it is 

 not in accordance with my custom. 



After the ditches are all staked out, we commence at the 

 lowest point and dig our ditches all tlirough, without the 

 land is inclined to cave, in which case we must dig a short 

 distance and then lay our tiles, and so on up the whole length, 

 unless we can afford the time and expense to brace up the 

 sides witli boai-ds. 



When we dig the whole length of ditches before we 

 commence to lay our tiles, we begin at the upper end, put- 

 ting a stone in the upper end of the first tile to keep out 

 dirt, and work down the ditch, thus preventing the liability 

 of dirt or stones getting into the tiles. 



In all cases in which I have laid tiles, I have placed a nar- 

 row strip of board, three or four inches wide, on the bot- 

 tom of the ditch, on which to place the tiles, thereby insur- 

 ing an unbroken grade for the tiles, — an indispensable requis- 

 ite in all soft ditches, where one tile would be liable to set- 

 tle more than another, thereby breaking the connection 

 between the different tiles and destroying their utility. 



The size of tiles to be used will be governed by the 

 amount of water to be carried off, und the steepness of 

 the grade. But, as a general rule, they will not be 

 required as large as would be at first supposed. Two inch 

 bore are the smallest I have ever used, and three inch bore the 



