DRAINING. 55 



two feet, or two feet six, if it can be had ; these drains should 

 run parallel, and one rod apart. All these drains should be 

 made tapered to a point, thus V- -Tlie drains may be made 

 with pipes of two-inch bore, laid end to end ; or, if these can- 

 not be had, with large stones to hll uj) eight or ten inches of 

 the drain, leaving, as they will, a run for water at the point, 

 and forming, as they will, a run through the stones above. If 

 neither large stones nor pipes can be had, get faggots, clip- 

 pings of hedges, and such like open stuff, to occupy the drain 

 as high up as we have mentioned ; or, if none of these can be 

 had, cut the earth where it is stiffest into large lumps, so that 

 when they are put in, they will not go to the bottom, but 

 leave a vacancy. 



When the best has been done that can be done under the 

 circumstances for the presei-vation of a run of water, let all 

 the drains be filled up to the surface, and a little above, to 

 allow for settling doA\Ti a little. But diaining would seem 

 labour in vain, if, in spite of all this, the reservoir gets choked 

 up nearly to the top with water, and all the drains are full, 

 which, of, course, they must be, w^henever the only outlet they 

 have is choked up. Yet now comes the question of the good 

 that is done by even this apology for draining. 



All the water that is used for watering the garden may be 

 taken out of this reservoir, and, if there be labour at com- 

 mand, this may be done rather copiously ; and although yoii 

 cannot- remove the liquid fast enough to make a serious dif- 

 ference in the height in the pond, the water in the drains 

 continuing to supply it as fast as you take it away, the water 

 is not stagnant altogether, and every gallon that they are 

 relieved of is immediately supplied by the circumjacent 

 moisture ; and this little movement, slight though it be, is of 

 the greatest service. Again, as the land-water decreases, 

 which at some portions of the year it aatLII, even to the almost 

 emptying of the pond, the land is actually relieved for a time, 

 and the air, which does so much service to the ground, will 

 find its way up the drains ; and, imperfect as this partial 

 drainage may be, the produce of the ground, as compared 

 with what it was before it was done, will amply repay for all 

 the labour bestowed upon it. Of course, if there be an outlet 

 of only the top few inches of the water, it is still better ; but 

 we wish it to be understood, that if there can be no other 

 relief than what is given by the constant use of the water for 



