DRAINAGE. 137 



also much greater than the former ; hence tiles are not only better for the purpose, but cheaper. 

 &quot;Where the soil is very wet, a complete system of drainage could not well be established by 

 the use of stone drains ; but where a partial drainage only is required, and the farmer may be 

 so circumstanced that he cannot well procure the tiles, stone may be utilized for the purpose. 

 There are various methods of making stone drains. Formerly drains were often made by dig 

 ging a trench about three or four feet deep and then filling it to within twelve or fifteen inches 

 of the surface with stones, covering the whole with flat stones to keep out the earth, before 

 filling in the soil, thus furnishing a means for the water to escape by working its way between 

 the stones; but this method is rarely employed at present. Another method is to put small 

 stones in the bottom of the trench to the depth of four or five inches ; line one side of the 

 trench with flat stones, and by placing long, flat stones against the opposite side on the pebbles 

 or small stones forming the bottom of the drain, and leaning the top of them against the top 

 of the stones forming the lining, an opening or throat will be formed through which the water 

 will find a passage ; the top will, of course, be covered with flat stones, followed by coarse 

 gravel before covering with soil, in order to prevent the earth falling or washing in between 

 the chinks of the stones and obstructing the passage. Some care will be necessary in 

 making any stone drain, to fill up all the little openings with smaller stones, as far as possible, 

 as the earth will be very liable to wash in and obstruct the water if this is not done. The 

 best form of stone drain is to make the sides of the ditch slanting and place the stones at the 

 sides for a lining so as to form an acute angle at the bottom, in the shape of a letter V, and 

 cover the top with flat stones, the opening thus formed to be triangular. Special attention 

 should be given to filling up the trench above in such a manner that the sand cannot find its way 

 into it. It is also important that the water have as much fall as practicable, which will facili 

 tate the drainage. As we have previously stated, such drains are much more expensive, owing 

 to the labor and expense of constructing, and also less effective than tile, but are the best sub 

 stitute for tile drains that are known. In all kinds of drains, a free outlet should be furnished 

 for the water to escape. Open ditches closed at the end with standing water in them are not a 

 very effectual means of draining lands; the water should always have some means of escape 

 by a proper outlet. 



Plank Drains. Planks or heavy boards are sometimes used for making drains, and if 

 properly laid will last many years, especially where they are kept constantly wet ; but we 

 would not recommend them for this purpose; since the labor and cost of draining is so great, 

 more durable material should be used. 



Turf Drains. The same could be said of turf drains with respect to their durability. 

 They are constructed by making the sides of the fcrench very slanting, and fitting in a piece of 

 turf for a covering of sufficient size to go within a few inches of the bottom of the drain, with 

 out settling into it. This forms a drain that is not at all durable, being very liable to fill up 

 by the falling in of the turf covering, or caving in at the sides. Brush and rails used in the 

 construction of drains have so long been in disuse that they have become among the obsolete 

 things and scarcely require comment here. They were first made use of in the progressive 

 steps towards improvement in drainage, from the open ditches, which are such a nuisance on 

 the farm, and have long since given place, among our best farmers, to the more complete and 

 perfect system of tile drainage. 



The Mole Plow was for a time deemed a great convenience in drainage, but experi 

 ence proved that it would not work except in a subsoil quite uniform and entirely free from 

 stones, and that it would only do good work in the strong clay soils, while even then the 

 trenches soon filled up with earth, so that no permanent results could be accomplished by it. 

 It can only be used as a temporary means of drainage, and to do service until a more complete 

 system can be adopted. 



