HOW TO MAKE DRAINS. 733 



to water, and requires them to be made much nearer. In a 

 black, loose soil, drains at the depth of four feet are sufficient 

 at a distance of ten rods apart ; but, if the land is a hard-pan 

 or a stiff clay, to drain it thoroughly the distance apart should 

 be from four to six rods. 



But few persons realize the great advantage that deep 

 drains have over shallow ones. In my extensive acquaintance 

 among drainers, I know of but few that drain to a depth averag- 

 ing over one and a half to three feet, whereas a depth of three 

 to eight feet should always be obtained. An orchard or vine- 

 yard, for example, should never be drained less than eight feet 

 deep. The time is probably no,t far distant when shallow drains 

 will be taken up and put down again at a proper depth. Per- 

 sons often say that it costs too much to drain so deep, when 

 the fact is the cost is less. For instance, it would cost but 

 very little more to dig two drains to the depth of four feet than 

 it would do dig three to the depth of two and a half feet, and 

 the two deep drains will drain fully as much land as the three 

 shallow, and will drain it much better and save the expense of 

 the third line of tile. 



BUT THE DEPTH OF DRAINS 



is not always a matter of choice, as very often the outlet is not 

 sufficient, and I have very often noticed that persons are some- 

 times extremely contrary about giving their neighbors above 

 them an outlet. In making an improvement of this kind, that 

 is to last for all time to come, it is much better to secure a good 

 outlet in the first place, if it does cost something more, espe- 

 cially if the land is flat and you have but little fall ; but in all 

 cases it is best to have a good outlet so that the water will fall 

 from six to twelve inches when it leaves the tile. However, a 

 tile drain that is properly made will not fill up ; if the outlet 

 does fill up fifteen or twenty inches the water will boil up like 

 a spring and keep the tile washed out. If you have a good fall, 

 say twelve inches to the hundred feet, a five-inch tile will 

 carry off as much water as a six-inch will if the fall is but four 

 inches to the hundred feet ; the greater the fall the more rapidly 



