CANAL CONSTRUCTION. 



43 



hundreds of years' experience has taught them to make 

 their ditches very large. They could thus irrigate their 

 lands quickly and be done with it. The ditches were far 

 less likely to break and could" be easily crossed by wagons, 

 or farm implements. During sudden showers they 

 could carry off the drainage water from immediately 

 above them and thus avoid many a washout. 



Laying Out. The laying out of ditches is the 

 province of the engineer or surveyor, although the more 

 intelligent farmers may do much of their own work and 



FIG. 6. THE JACKSON LEVEL. 



thus save considerable expense. Something of a knowl- 

 edge of leveling must be had in order to do the work, 

 but sufficient may soon be acquired to permit of much 

 home work being done. Every man who has much 

 ditch building to do should have a cheap grade level and 

 target, which should not exceed $25 in cost, while a very 

 good outfit can be bought for 12. The writer has used 

 the Jackson very satisfactorily. This instrument is 

 shown in Figure 6, while the target or flag is given in 

 Figure 7. 



