278 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Nobody contends now in England for less than three feet depth of drains, 

 and those who advocate three feet are called shallow drainers. 



As a general rule, it costs as much to dig the fourth foot as it does the 

 other three feet. A four-foot drain is opened in England only one foot 

 wide at the top, and just wide enough to lay the tile at the bottom. I 

 open my drains four inches wide at the bottom, because that is as narrow 

 as I can dig with a pick. The digger must have room for his foot at the 

 bottom to work with that tool, and our soil is so hard that nothing else will 

 do. As to the size of tiles, I never would use a one-inch tile, because I 

 do not believe it is suflicient to carry off the great amount of rain water 

 that falls in this country, which is much greater than falls in England, and 

 it docs not come in that gentle, drizzling way, but with a rush, just as we 

 do many things, and the pipes must be large enough to carry it all off. 

 We have no sufficient tables as yet, but we are getting posted up, and from 

 what I have seen, I think we have got to provide against a rain fall of 45 

 inches a year. Our New England showers are sometimes little deluges. 

 In 1852, we had 6 inches in one hour. Often we have 2, 8, or 4 inches in 

 24 hours. Just before planting we have a flood of rain, and this must be 

 carried off, and that immediately. I have drained some of my land at 50 

 feet apart, five feet deep. We need, as a general thing, larger tiles in this 

 country than in England, simply because we have more water to carry off 

 in a short time. As to the water going through the pores of the tile, there 

 is ten times as much goes through the joints as through the pores, so that 

 making them porous is not so very important. The joints will take in all 

 the water iu the ground. I would have my tiles about as well burnt as 

 good wall brick. They are then strong enough, and can be cut, and are 

 not likely to break in the earth. They should be hard enough not to dis- 

 solve, and the clay should be compressed enough to make the tile strong 

 enough, without such hard burning as will melt the clay. I prefer collars 

 three inches long, and always would use collars on small pipes, because 

 they keep the pipes in line ; and I would not use less than l\ inch tiles. 

 As to the shape of the orifice, if you have a low head, an egg shape, with 

 small end down, is the best ; but a round hole is generally good enough. 

 So is a tile that is round on the outside. The difficulty in round tiles is, 

 that they are apt to bend in drying, and it is important to have the line of 

 pipes straight. The round tile is the form adopted by the Land-draining 

 Company in England — a company of competent men, who work scientifi- 

 cally. They never use less than lA inch pipe, and those always with col- 

 lars ; but they prefer 2 inch tile, without collars. 



As to joining brook drains, I would have a pipe made purposely, and 

 never bring in the side drain at right angles, and always give it a fall into 

 the main pipe. 



As to silt basins, if you want to inspect your drains, a silt basin may be 

 of use ; but simpler things than such silt basins as are made in the Cen- 

 tral Park, will answer. A large, strong made pipe, set up over the drain 

 pipe, where the branches join, will enable any one to inspect a drain to see 



