TILE DKAINAGE. 117 



From much observation 1 am convinced that all or nearly 

 all the authorities down to date have advised too small tiles, 

 basing their judgment more upon English and Continental 

 practice than upon American conditions. The general esti- 

 mates or rules given in my article quoted just above, from 

 The Omnti-y Gcntlnnn, are based upon much observation, 

 and tested by many years of careful experience on my own 

 farm ; and I believe they are safe for grades of less than 3 ft. 

 per 101) ft (and, of course, for greater grades); and for annual 

 rainfall not exceeding o() inches, with occasional phenomenal 

 rainfalls of 2 or even 4 inches in '24 hours. The sizes there 

 given will carry the water as fast as the soil can filter it into 

 the drains, if the latter are 30 inches deep deep enough 

 for clay. 



The tendency toward larger tiles, especially in the rather 

 level prairie West, is manifest and wise. The soil there is 

 more porous, and hence laterals may be much further apart, 

 and wisely laid deeper (even 4 or 4i ft. deep) than in our more 

 compact clayey soils in Ohio, (where 30 inches is as deep as 

 best economy will warrant). Also, as the grades there are 

 usually less, the sizes must be larger. The manufacture of 1 

 and H inch tiles has long been discontinued, even in Ohio, 

 and few 2-inch ones are now made* in some sections, though 

 they are laryt mouyh for an outlet for an acre, with good 

 grade. But in Illinois, 3 and 4 inch tiles are now the smallest 

 sizes found at most tile-kilns. The material is not expensive, 

 and the tendency toward larger sizes is wise, except where 

 freights or long hauling makes the weight important. 



COST OF DRAINAGE IF DONE ECONOMICALLY. 



Ill a series of articles in The Country Gmtleman in 1878 I 

 discussed the cost, and gave actual figures from a job of 15 

 acres, where much of the work was done with teams. The 

 ground was previously plowed so as to leave a very deep 

 dead-furrow just where each lateral was to be. In this a 

 four-horse team (four abreast) plowed back and forth once 



