154 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



where there is an excess of water in the soil, arising from springs, 

 a good ditch should be made, and well tiled or stoned two or 

 three feet above the foundation of the fence, in order to receive 

 the water before it should saturate the earth under the founda 

 tion of the wall. This precaution will keep the dirt about the 

 wall more dry, and consequently less liable to heave by freezing. 



DITCHES UNDER STONE WALLS. 



195. It is a very common practice with some farmers to throw 

 out the earth, where a stone fence is to be built, to the depth of 

 thirty or forty inches, and from two to four or five feet wide, or 

 as wide as the wall is to be built at the surface of the ground, 

 and then fill this channel with small stones, thrown in promis 

 cuously. In this operation they have two or three objects in 

 view draining the soil, preparing a good foundation for the 

 fence, and a place for the surplus stone. But this is a very ex 

 pensive way of disposing of surplus stone of any kind. It would 

 be far more economical to lay them up even on the top of a wall 

 that is already high enough, than to bury them beneath the soil. 

 "We do not approve of nor advocate the practice of forming a 

 channel for water beneath a stone wall, by simply allowing the 

 water to percolate between the stones, because dirt will keep 

 working towards the bottom, and mice will haul in dirt in places, 

 so as to stop the passage of water entirely. "When it is desirable 

 to have a passage for water under a stone fence, the earth should 

 be thrown out from one to four feet deep, to suit the judgment of 

 the proprietor ; and then a channel should be dug in the bottom 

 of this trench from six to twelve inches deep, and a good throat 

 laid, as in an ordinary ditch, and well chinked with small stone, 

 and then filled with the kind of earth that was taken from it, 

 and well trodden down even with the bottom of the large trench. 

 If there should be much water, it would be necessary to make a 

 large throat ; but, whether a large or small throat be made, 

 the workman should exercise unusual care to do every part of 

 the work in such a manner that mice cannot possibly find tlicir 

 way into the throat of the ditch. If the ditch be well chinked 



