DEVICES, APPLIANCES AND CONTRIVANCES. 401 



three feet deep through the hill, or about on a level 

 with the water in the pond, covering the tile thor- 

 oughly as he went along until he arrived at the pond. 

 To the surprise of many, the water, which was two 

 feet deep in the pond, all ran out. Another similar 

 proceeding is related of a drain made by a mole 

 ditcher, which is forced through the soil by a capstan. 

 The plow or mole was set in at the pond and run over 

 the hill, the water following behind. Strange as it 

 may seem, all of the water was taken out of the pond. 

 The drains were pradlically siphons, and when com- 

 pleted were full of water, so that they adled as siphons 

 as long as the water-supply lasted. When once empty 

 their a(5lion ceased and could not be brought about 

 again unless the drains were filled with water, which 

 of course could not be done. These examples and 

 others which have come under our notice, show that 

 under • certain conditions tile-drains can be made to 

 operate very much as tight pipes. We observe, how- 

 ever, that for all-round drainage purposes tiles must 

 operate freely, without being forced, except for flush- 

 ing in flood- times, when we may expe<5l to see tile 

 lines crowded beyond their capacity for good drainage 

 purposes. 



The Siphon Elevator. — This contrivance is com- 

 posed of two pipes of unequal diameter — a receiver 

 and a regulator. In the interior of the receiver a clack- 

 valve is placed, so as to cut off, intermittingly, the flow 

 of water into the regulator, and above it is a puppet- 

 valve maintained in its place by a spiral spring. A 

 lever carrying a counterweight is attached rigidly to 

 the axis of the clack-valve, causing it to open. The 



