496 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



DIGGING THE DITCH. — TOOLS. 



We are now ready to begin the digging of the ditch. 

 Three tools especially made for tile ditching, are the ditching spade, 

 tile scoop, tile hook. 



Fig. 18. Ditching spades. 



The ditching spade, Fig. 18, is made in different sizes for different 

 kinds of soil. In general the blade is long and narrow, partly to lesson 

 the number of spade depths or cuts necessary to dig the ditch and partly 

 that the spade full of soil is less likely to slip from the blade in lifting 

 the soil to the surface. 



The tile scoop. Fig. 19a and Fig. 19b, is used in shaping the bottom of 

 the ditch to receive the tile. It is made in different sizes, to correspond 

 more or less closely to the size of tile to be laid. 



The tile hook is used to lift and properly set the tile in place. It 

 is used chiefly when the operator works from the surface of the ground. 

 It consists of a long wooden handle, carrying a rectangular hook of 

 3/^-inch round iron 10 inches long. Fig. 20. 



It is desirable also to have a common spade, a common long handle 

 shovel, and sometimes a pick, especially when a heavy clay sub-soil is 

 likely to be encountered. 



OTHER MATERIALS. 



It will be necessary also to have a few hundred feet of strong, light 

 cord, a few light, sharp stakes 2 feet in length, and material to be used 

 in setting grade bars. 



