64 



THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



A>' OPEN DITCH. 



in a ridge along the side of the ditch, but should be spread 

 evenly over the adjoining land. The sloping sides should be 

 sown in grass and mowed ; and if weeds or sprouts grow in the 



bottom of the 



ditch they 

 should be cut 

 and burned. 

 An open ditch 

 can be con- 

 structed and managed in this way so as to give an outlet for 

 the water from the tile and with comparatively little waste of 

 land. Much of the work can be done with the plow and 

 scraper. Where an open ditch is badly constructed, made too 

 narrow, with steep sides, and the earth thrown out left in piles, 

 it can not give good satisfaction, or be kept clean with any 

 reasonable amount of labor. Open drains will not prove satis- 

 factory as a substitute for tile drains, but only in connection 

 with them, and should never be resorted to where they can 

 be avoided. They are expensive to construct ; wasteful of land ; 

 and will require considerable labor each year to keep in good 

 condition. They will also be impassable for the teams unless 

 bridged, and must often angle through the fields. 



Wherever a tile drain can be put in without having an open 

 ditch through the farm, it should always be done. 

 The requisites of a good tile drain are : 



1st. Good durable tile of sufficient size. 



2d. A free outlet. 



3d. The grade must be regular. 



Depth and Distance Apart of Drains. No general 

 rule can be given as to the depth at which tile should be laid, as 

 this must to some extent be governed by the character of the 

 Boil and lay of the land. On Eastview Farm we strike lime- 

 stone in many places at a depth of two feet or less, and have 

 never been able to lay tile deeper than two feet, and these 

 drains have given good satisfaction. Where there is fall enough 

 and a good outlet, and the soil is such as to admit of spading, I 

 would recommend three feet, as the extra cost of the deeper 



