THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 303 



and as drains are less liable to become obstructed in the water 

 passage when there is only a throat than they are when small 

 stones a foot or more deep are placed above it, let us attend par 

 ticularly to the manner of placing the stones in the bottom of a 

 ditch, so that they will not be displaced by the water. 



416. If most of the stones are cobble or bowlders, both the 

 side stones and covering stones, place them as shown in Fig. 133 



FIG. 133. FIG. 134. 



MANNER OF STONING AVITII COBBLE STONES. IMPROPERLY STONED. 



It will be discovered by the figure, that if the covering stone is 

 removed, the side stones will fall into the water channel. But 

 the covering stone being convex or circular on the under side, it 

 keeps them from falling inwards. When side stones will not 

 stand alone until the covering stone is placed on them, I hold 

 them up with one foot. This is the most approved manner of 

 stoning a ditch with small bowlders. 



417. "When the side stones are flat on one side and convex on 

 the opposite side, as shown at Fig. 134, which represents a stone 

 drain improperly stoned, they should be placed, not as shown in 

 the figure, but with the flat side against the side of the ditch, 

 and the convex side inwards. It will be seen by the figure, that 

 there is a passage for water between the side stones and the sides 

 of the ditch, which is very objectionable. And, besides, when 

 the flat sides of the side stones are placed against the side of a 

 ditch, and not as shown in the figure, the superincumbent pres 

 sure will all be near the corners of the bottom of a ditch ; and 

 not near the middle of it, as here represented. When stone are 

 placed as represented by this figure, they are very liable to slide 

 13* 



