PLAIN, PRACTICABLE DIRECTIONS FOR DRAINING, SUBSOILING, ETC. 



the ji, or tube tile, may be used, should the bottom be soft ; tube tile is the best. 

 The XI tiles, where the bottom is hard, require nothing under them, but, in spongy, 

 soft spots, to keep them from sinking, a piece of board is sometimes used ; the 

 usual price of two-inch tile is ten dollars per 1,000 ; the larger size, three to four 

 inches, twelve to fifteen dollars ; each tile lays a foot good measure ; when the 

 ground is flat, and nearly level, the person digging must be careful to carry the 

 bottom the proper depth, which can easily be done by those that are accustomed 

 to the work by the eye ; it ought never to be dug so that the water will stand, 

 but have a gentle fall, enough to carry it all off; the tiles, also, require to be laid 

 as close as the joints will permit, to prevent the earth from falling through, which 

 would impede the run of the water on the tile ; care must also be used when con- 

 necting the parallel drains with the trunk or main drain, which can be done by 

 breaking out a small piece of the tile with a hammer or pick, covering it up carefully 

 with pieces of broken tiles, so that no obstruction may be made to the water run- 

 ning freely out of the parallel drains. Some people put a few shavings or straw 

 over the tiles before filling in the earth ; if they are to be had conveniently, they 

 will do no harm, but it is not very essential. If the tiles have been carefully laid, 

 this form of draining is the most simple and effectual, and never fails to dry the 

 ground of both surface and spring water, as it is impossible to miss any spring, if 

 the drains are run parallel all through the ground. 



When stones are in the way, they may be used in the place of tiles, but not 

 otherwise, as the cost of carting and filling will be more than the cost of tiles ; 

 when used, they are sometimes, if of small size, filled in ten to twelve inches in 

 depth, but, when the run of water is great, they are generally made by laying 

 stones on each side, and covering with a flat one on the top, then, filling over this 

 six inches of small stones, which makes a capital drain ; the cost, however, is 

 double the expense of tile. 



Where neither stone nor tiles are to be had, brush is sometimes used, and, if well- 

 packed and cut up, so that it will pack very close together, say eight to ten inches 

 in depth, will run water very well, and last for a number of years, if the outlet is 

 kept clear. Where grounds are extensive and rolling, and the grade falling off in 

 different directions, it will be necessary, sometimes, on account of its level, to make 

 more than one trunk drain, but, in whatever w\ay the ground may be, the same 

 system may be used to any extent, where labor is an object ; and, for farming pur- 

 poses, the digging might be nearly saved by using the plough and subsoil. I am 

 satisfied that drains three feet deep may be all done with horses, except the bottom 

 spit, which would require the spade ; the filling-iu of the earth can be done in the 

 same way, and one-half the expense saved. 



Draining is not necessary in all soils, but only in such as are of heavy clay, with 

 a hard subsoil, or in wet, spongy grounds. Where the subsoil is gravelly and 

 porous, and leaves no water on the surface after heavy rains in summer, draining 

 is not required. I find that, on heavy soils, plants suffer much more from heavy 

 rains in summer than in the winter, if undrained, there being no other way for it 

 to dry but by evaporation, and, before this takes place, the water in the soil becomes 

 putrid, particularly in warm weather ; but, when this kind of ground is under- 

 drained, the drains run out the water from below, and the surface dries rapidly by 

 the sun, so that, in two days after the heaviest rain, the ground will be in working 

 order. 



Undrained grounds, again, in the winter and spring, are very injurious to the 

 roots of trees, grass, and all kinds of grain, causing them to lift out of the ground 

 frost, and leaving the roots exposed, and (almost sure) a great part of them 



perish. 



Vol. VI.— September, 1856. 



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