EXPERIMENTS IN DEAINING. 287 







of straw or grass over the tile along the drains 

 previous to filling with earth, in order to prevent 

 any fine dirt from falling through the crevices into 

 the tiles. In filling the ditches, put in first the earth 

 which was taken from the surface, as this is more 

 open and loose, and the water will always more 

 readily find its way through it to the tile below ; and 

 to do this more readily, in throwing out the earth, put 

 the surface soil on one side, and the sub-soil or hard- 

 pan on the other. In bringing one drain into an- 

 other, I never unite them at right angles, but always 

 aim to have the upper side angle much the smallest, 

 so that the water coming from one into the other 

 shall obstruct the current of water in either or both 

 as little as possible, and for this purpose I frequently 

 form an angle in the side drain a short distance 

 above its union with the other, so as to unite them 

 at any angle desired ; and at this junction or connect- 

 ing point I break one or two tiles, if necessary, in such 

 manner as to permit the two upper branches to 

 unite as well with the lower one as possible, and in 

 the form of the forked branches of a tree, and to 

 secure this connection more perfectly, some tile, or 

 pieces of tile or stones are carefully laid in about 

 this point, and for several feet below, so that if all 

 the water from the side drain does not readily enter 



