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HANDY-BOOK OF HUSBANDRY. 



even sharper spade, of the same length or a little less, (Fig. 55, f,j 4L 

 inches wide at the top and 3 inches at the point, he digs out as 

 nearly as he can, another foot of earth — he facing the main and 

 working back, so that he stands always on the smooth bottom, 3 

 feet below the surface. When he has dug for a length of 2 or 

 3 feet, he takes a snipe-bill scoop, (Fig. 55, d^) only 3 inches wide, 

 and using it as he did the broader scoop, removes the loose earth. 

 The round back of this scoop, which is always working a foot 

 below the level on which the operator stands and which performs 

 the offices of a shovel^ smooths and forms the bottom of the trench, 

 making a much better bed for the tiles than it is possible to get 

 if it has to be walked on, and regulates the grade most perfectly. 



4. When the short length of ditch has been nearly all dug out 

 and graded, the branch on the junction piece of the tile is uncov- 

 ered, and the tile is laid by the use of a "tile-layer," (Fig. 55, ^,) 

 operated by a man standing astride the ditch on the banks. The 

 collar is placed on the end of the branch on the upper end of the 

 tile. The implement lowers the tile, (with its collar in place,) and 

 the other end is carefully inserted in the collar on the branch. 

 Then the end of the second tile is inserted into the second collar, 

 and so on until nearly all of the graded ditch is laid. 



p^^^i?.^!^^^ 



Fig. 56. — Opening the Ditch and Laying the Tiles. 



5. The most clayey part of the subsoil is thrown carefully down 

 on the tile and tramped into its place, — all but the collar end of 

 the last tile being covered, — and the ditch filled at least half-full 

 and pounded. 



6. Another rod or two of the ditch is opened, dug out, laid, 



