ON DRAINING. 117 



or after fi-ost, and occasions mncli additional labour. Many 

 farmers, prefer, liowever, to g-et the stones broken at the 

 quarry in lai-g-e heaps, or bens, whence they are carted t j the 

 drains when rerpiired ; and this is unquestionably the more 

 judicious practice. The small stones that have, from time 

 to time been g-athered oti' the fields, are commonly broken to 

 the required size at the heaps into which they had at first been 

 formed. In both these cases the broken stones are carted to 

 the drains as required, and shovelled into them from the 

 carts, care being" taken not to break down any of the soil 

 from the sides, or to allow any earthy matters to g-et in 

 among" the stones. 



Mr. Sullivan describes an apparatus, which he says some 

 of the Aberdeenshire farmers have found usefid, for the 

 double purpose of expediting- the operation of filling- the 

 drains with broken stones, and of freeing- the stones from all 

 earthy matter. For this, we must refer to the essay. 



The stones, after Ijeing- made uniform on the surface, which 

 is very easily effected when the mode of filling- just described 

 is adopted, are covered with turf of about 2 inches in thick- 

 ness, cut from the contiguous surface, if the field is in g-rass 

 at the time. Sometimes the first or top sods are reserved 

 for this piu'pose. Heath, straw, and similar matters are also 

 occasionally used when the land is in stubble or tillag-e. 

 The covering- of the stones with turf is a part of the process 

 on which much attention is bestowed, as considerable damage 

 may ensue to the drain from having- it imperfectly performed. 



In the construction of the other description of drain — 

 namel}^, that furnished with an '' eye," or square conduit — 

 much care and attention must also be exercised. The eye is 

 formed in nearlv the same manner as the conduit of main 

 drains already described ; stones of suitable size are placed at 

 both sides of the bottom, npon which others are laid across 

 the drain, thus forming- an opening-, the ordinary dimensions 

 of which are 3 inches in width by 4 in heig-lit. In order to 

 render this a substantial mode of draining-, the side stones — 

 or "cheeks," as they are designated — must be all of the 

 same heig'ht, and be firmly laid upon the bottom, as the sub- 

 sequent disjdacement of any of them w^ould obstruct the 

 passag'e of tlie water. The labourers accustomed to con- 

 struct this kind of drain perform the work in a secure and 

 expeditious manner. After the eye has been formed in the 

 bottom of the drain, .5 or 6 inches in depth of broken stones 

 are commonly, but not always, placed above the covers, and 



