78 ox THOROUGH-DRAINING. 



regards the deptli of drains, tliere was a just medium, in 

 order to give them most effectually the power of drawing* 

 the moisture from the superincumbent soil, and rendering- it 

 completely dry ; and of allowing- the atmosphere to operate 

 freely in producing- that effect. Were this not attended to, 

 and the drains made too deep, the water would remain long-er 

 in the soil than would be either necessary or useful. He 

 then explained the utility of having- frequent drains, and 

 showed that a g-iven quantity of rain would take far more 

 than double the time to find its way to the drains, if they 

 were placed at double the distance from each other. He 

 thoug'ht, from all the experience which he had had, that 

 drains should be from about eig-hteen to twenty-five feet 

 apart, according- to the kind of soil which required to be 

 drained. He then showed, at some leng-th, the superiority 

 of the system of laying- out drains in parallel lines from the 

 top to the bottom of the field, or in the direction in which 

 the ridg-es were formed, to laying- them out across the ridg-es 

 or diagonally. He likewise showed the advantage of making 

 them at equal distances, and recommended that every farmer 

 should have a map of his drained fields ; in which case, in the 

 event of an}' of his drains being- choked up, he would at once 

 see where the drains had been put. He did not approve, 

 where ridges were i-etained, of drainsbeing formed in the fur- 

 rows, and was of opinion that the tops of the ridges was a much 

 better situation. When cutting- drains, it was of importance 

 to make them as narrow as possible to receive the water, as 

 more stones were necessary to fill the drains when they were 

 made wider, and were more apt to give way. It was found 

 that from twelve to thirteen inches at the top, in which a 

 man would easily work, was the most convenient width ; and 

 from three and a half to four inches at the bottom, would 

 do for a stone drain, and equally well for tile. It was of 

 great consequence to have them so cut when tile was to be 

 used, that it would be easily put in ; for when there was any 

 difficidty in that respect, the individual placing it put his 

 foot upon it and probably broke the tile. It was of impor- 

 tance to have them easy, therefore ; but, at the same time, 

 not to cut more than was absolutely necessary. With re- 

 gard to the use of tiles or stones in the formation of drains, 

 he had no doubt but a stone drain, if properly executed, was 

 an imperishable drain. Tiles were more liable to accident, 

 and might be insufficie tly burned; and they would not 

 very well distinguish by the eye when this was the case^ 



