TILE AND PIPE DRAINING. 99 



CL TILE AND PIPE DRAINING. 



The thorough drainage of land now occupies the attention of 

 the agricultural community in Great Britain more than any other 

 branch of improvement connected with the soil. I know of 

 none from which more important and beneficial results have been 

 received, or may still be looked for. It will not be pretended that 

 all soils equally demand it, or will be equally benefited by it ; 

 but, among the many instances which I have seen, scarcely any 

 have failed to meet the expectations of those persons who have 

 adopted this means of improvement. The drainage of land, as I 

 have before remarked, has been a practice of long standing ; but, 

 as connected with subsoil ploughing, it must be considered as of 

 modern date. 



I have spoken already of various modes of forming drains. 

 That of draining with tiles or pipes remains to be treated, and 

 in several respects the experience of the last two or three years 

 has effected extraordinary improvements, especially in the con 

 struction of the tiles or pipes, and in the reduction of the ex 

 pense of the operation. The expense was at first of a character 

 to render the improvement quite formidable ; but from an outlay 

 of 5, or in some cases even 10, it is now reduced, under 

 favorable circumstances, to 2, or even less, and the great hin- 

 derance to its general adoption is removed. 



1. IMPROVEMENTS IN FORM OF DRAINING-PIPES. Tiles were 

 formerly made singly, and by hand. The clay was rolled out. 

 and then pressed over a block into the shape of a horseshoe. 

 In laying them in, it was deemed only necessary to lay them on a 

 hard bottom of clay. But the running water constantly wore the 

 bottom, and softened the clay ; and the tile would sink into the 

 clay, and the drain be rendered useless. The next improvement 

 was to make them with feet ; that is, to spread the bottom edge, 

 on which they stood, outside, from a half of an inch to an inch in 

 width, thus, j&quot; j^ which served to prevent their sinking into 

 the earth or clay upon which they rested. The next improve 

 ment was to construct a flat sole, to be laid in the bottom of the 

 drain, which should be a little wider than the tile itself, and upon 



