4 TILE DRAINAGE. 



Another reason why this little book does not contain all 

 knowledge on this and related topics is the fact that' its au- 

 thor does not possess all knowledge! What 'he does not 

 know is omitted. It would make quite a book indeed, 

 quite a library. 



There are other reasons why he confines this book closely 

 to tile drainage, and even to the best and most recent knowl- 

 edge and practice on that subject ; but these will suffice. 

 Motley, in " The Dutch Republic,' 1 says that, when the hat- 

 ed Duke of Alva entered a certain city of the Netherlands, 

 no military salute was fired, as would have been proper ; 

 but, instead, a deputation from the city fathers appeared be- 

 fore him saying they had come to give thirty-nine good and 

 sufficient reasons for the failure. 'First, they had no can- 

 non; second, they had no powder; third but the duke 

 waived the recital of the other thirty-seven reasons. 



Tile drainage, and that, too, with round tiles (round inside 

 and round or octagonal outside), is now admitted by all who 

 are well informed on the subject to be the best and really 

 the cheapest sort of drainage for soils that need artificial 

 drainage. Tiles can be made from the local soil and subsoil 

 at or near all localities that need tile drainage. Properly 

 made, burned, and laid, there is no reason why the tiles and 

 the drains should not last for centuries, while all other kinds 

 of underdrains soon rot, choke, are spoiled by land or water 

 vermin, or for other cause become practically useless. To 

 dwell on any of these kinds of drains, explaining their con- 

 struction, would be like describing to an inquiring road- 

 traveler the angles, landmarks, and windings of the wrong 

 road. 



This little book, therefore, will not go into curious '" ancient 

 history 1 ' on the subject, but from first to last will try to give 

 just so much of present, well-established facts, reasons, and 

 methods, as shall enable the wide-awake, thinking, studying 

 farmer to understand the underlying principles and the best 

 present methods, and enable him to put them into practice. 



