74 TILE DRAINAGE. 



winter labor of the regular farm force, and makes the actual 

 cash outlay to the average farmer little more than the bare 

 cost* of tiles This answers the question as to when we can 

 dig most economically. 



Details of this winter work will be given in the succeed- 

 ing chapters on "How to Drain,"' and estimates will be 

 given of the actual cost of the work. 



CHAPTER VII. 



How to Drain ; The Tiles. 



Not only have tiles superseded all other kinds of material 

 for drains, but round tiles, without collars or joints, have 

 virtually sunerseded all other shapes of tiles, such as the 

 horseshoe tiles, the sole tiles, the socket or collar tiles, the 

 oval tiles, etc. Cylindrical ti ] es are cheaper, stronger, bet- 

 ter in all respects than any other ; and for ordinary drainage 

 there is no need of sockets, joints, or collars. Hence we de- 

 scribe and refer to none but the cylindrical tiles. They may 

 be octagonal outside, without damage, and that form is 

 slightly more convenient in handling, shipping, and laying, 

 because they lie still better, and do not roll so much in piling 

 in car or wagon. But this is not important. Buy the fully 

 cylindrical or the octagonal outside and cylindrical inside, as 

 may be cheapest and most covenient. Buy the sort that is 

 made nearest and costs least, if equally good otherwise. 



MATERIAL AND HARDNESS OF THE TILES. 



Tiles are made of brick clay, and are then called " soft 

 tiles; 1 ' also of potters' clay, and are then called "hard 

 tiles." The argument sometimes made for the soft tiles is 

 that they admit the water better. As this is an important 

 matter in drainage, and as I discussed it fully, with account 

 of experiments, in The County Gentleman of April 23, 1891, I 

 will here quote the article entire, with full credit to that pa- 



