THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



prevent their being choked with quicksand. That " stills " the sand ; the drains then, if 

 firmly and evenly laid, perform their office for an indefinite period, otherwise they may 

 be choked within a few hours of laying. All outlets must be secured with iron grating 

 sufficiently small between the bars to exclude animals of the size of moles or less. The 

 whole work of draining must be most carefully and thoroughly done, it being essential 

 that the trench be examined before the pipes are laid in order that any faults may be 

 discovered and rectified. Draining is usually done as piecework or by measure, which 

 necessarily occasions close supervision. 



Fig. 8. DEAINING TOOLS. DEAINS. (Scale : J inch = 1 foot.) 



In the formation of drains the tools used are few and simple, consisting of a set 

 of spades in three sizes; scoops of various widths furnished with a long handle, 

 rounded in the soles to finish off the bottom ; also a pipe-layer and drag for drawing 

 the soil into the drain. These tools, also drains, are shown in Figure 8. References : 

 r, top spit spade ; s, second spit ; tf, bottom spit ; w, scoop ; y, pipe-layer ; w, rubble 

 drain ; x, tile drain. 



Preparing Soils. A depth of two feet is sufficient, especially for dwarf trees* 

 Whatever its formation, it should be trenched, not necessarily to bring the bottom soil 

 to the top for purposes of aeration and pulverizing, or to effect its amelioration, but to 

 provide a medium permeable by the roots, for abstracting supplies of food proportionate 



