276 LUTHER BURBANK 



five years. The soil is a heavy adobe and was 

 almost worthless before it was drained. 



The good results of the drainage were scarcely 

 apparent the first year, but the benefits were 

 multiplied each year until now the soil is 

 easily cultivated and bears enormous crops, 

 while before draining no crop of any kind could 

 be raised. 



This system consists of one main line of four- 

 inch tile with laterals of two-inch tile every 

 forty feet. The laterals gather the surplus water 

 quickly after a heavy rain and the main tile 

 carries it to a small stream near by. 



The laterals do not need such a large capacity 

 as most people think. It must be remembered 

 that they work both day and night, and Sundays 

 as well as week days and a very small tile will 

 carry a great amount of water in the course of 

 twenty-four hours. 



It is a good plan to have the tiles flushed now 

 and then, and if they are not too large they will 

 be flushed during heavy rains when filled to ca- 

 pacity. This flushing serves to keep them clean 

 and the flushing produced naturally when small 

 tiles are used is sufficient reason for recommend- 

 ing the smaller sizes rather than larger ones 

 which are more expensive and generally less 

 efficient. 



