374 State Board ok Agriculture, &c. 



placed at its base, with very slight fall, filled in two or 

 three days after it was covered, perfectly stopping the 

 tile. The case in question occurred last fall, and was on 

 property in which I am a part o\\^ier, and was done hy 

 another member of the firm, who had had no experience 

 in tile drains, and has concluded to pas? it over for me 

 to experiment on the coming season. 



My mode of operation will be to dig the trench, place a 

 board on the bottom, lay the tiles and place a covering of 

 clay six inches deep over them and firmly press it down ; or 

 try an experiment with leather shavings, by placing a cov- 

 ering three or four inches deep (an abundance being handy 

 from our currying sliop) ; after wliicli I sliall fill in the quick- 

 sand, and I liave great faith to be able to report a success 

 next season. 



There are devices recommended l)y writers on drainage, 

 the object of wliich is to get rid of any silt that may 

 accumulate in tile drains, the practical working of wldch I 

 know but very little, having seen l)ut one. 



Their construction consists of what is called a silt basin, 

 formed by making a chamber in the tiles. It maybe made 

 of l)rick or stone cemented ; or a large tile six or eight 

 inches in diameter may be set on end at least one foot 

 below the bottom of the ditch and extending to the top of 

 the ground, one tile ending on one side and the other com- 

 mencing on the opposite side a little lower down. As will 

 be seen at once, all sediment running into this will be 

 deposited in the bottom, and can be cleaned out from the 

 top whenever there is an accumulation sufficient to fill it to 

 the bottom of the tile which is placed lowest. 



