1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



569 



control, and their shouts and wild huzzas echoed 

 far over the prairie. 



This plow was invented and exhibited by Mr. 

 Fawkes, who resides in Lancaster, Penn., and is 

 the first, we believe, ever set in 'motion in this 

 country. On the broad lands of the prairies, it 

 must prove, if entirely successful, of in#iculable 

 benefit. 



I<'or the New England Farmer. 

 UNDEBDKAININQ. 



In executing a system of thorough drainage, as 

 in all other work, it is necessary to make the 

 original cost as slight as possible, in order to re- 

 alize the greatest return in proportion to the 

 outlay. That this may be done, it is necessary 

 for the person having charge of the work to be 

 familiar with all its details, both the scientific and 

 practical, and to know the most eS'ective use of 

 labor, that he may attain the desired object by 

 the shortest and simplest process. Very much 

 work, however, must be done where the services 

 of such a person cannot be readily obtained ; it 

 then becomes necessary for the proprietor to do 

 his work as economically as possible, with such 

 knowledge as can be obtained from those more 

 familiar with the work. To such, I propose to 

 make a few suggestions on a single practical 

 point, which may be useful to them. 



The only object for which trenches are cut in 

 underdraining is that the pipe may be placed in 

 its proper position, and as the amount of earth 

 thrown out materially affects the cost of the 

 work, it is of great importance that no more 

 earth should be disturbed than is necessary to 

 give the workmen room for a free use of their j 

 tools. The width at which trenches can be most! 

 economically cut is much less than is generally, 

 supposed, and the dimensions that are given be- 

 low, though they may seem small, are the result; 

 of some experience and may be relied on, except! 

 in peculiar circumstances. The accompanying 

 diagram shows the lines that may be followed in 

 forming the cross section of a trench from two 

 and one-half to six feet deep, and to admit a 

 pipe from one to eight inches inside bore. 

 The full lines represent the 

 sides of the trench, the hori- 

 zontal dotted lines are at cer- 

 tain distances from the bot- 

 tom, as represented by the 

 figures opposite each at the 

 side. The figures above each 

 represent the width of open- 

 ing at the surface for a trench 

 of that depth, the widths are 

 given in feet and hundredths, 

 to reduce the decimal to inch- 

 es, divide by eight, the result 

 will be inches nearly. The 

 ertical dotted lines show what earth must be re- 

 moved in order to increase the width at bottom 

 ito receive the larger sizes. Suppose a trench is 

 to be dug four and one-half feet deep, the number 

 opposite 4>] is L42 or one foot five inches, which 

 is the width of opening at surface. 



If the trench is to be three fe-et deep it need be 

 opened only one foot wide at the top, and with 

 proper tools, it can be carried down to a width 



of about two inches at the bottom, though, of 

 course, the foot of a man cannot come within six 

 or eight inches of the bottom, in which case the 

 pipes are laid by a man walking on the surface at 

 the edge of the trench, who lifts the pipe, piece 

 by piece, with a kind of hook made for the pur- 

 pose, and lays them carefully in the trench, as 

 shown by this engraving. 



The cross section of the land, shown in front, 

 represents it as having had the advantage of 

 draining, by which the water-table is brought to 

 a level with the bottom of the drain, as shown by 

 the heavy shading. An "Irish spade" and a 

 pipe-layer are shown lying on the ground. 



If the work is done by a common spade, the 

 width of opening at the top maybe the same and'; 

 the sides can be carried down as near together 

 as the width of spade will allow. The "Irish, 

 spade" has been used by Judge French in opc^n- 

 ing trenches on his grounds in Exeter, during 

 the past season, and with very satisfactory re- 

 sults. This tool being owned by many persona, 

 in this vicinity, who may undertake such work, I ■ 

 suggest that it will be well to use it in preference 

 to the common spade. 



As it is not necessary to the convenience of 

 the workmen that the sides of the trench be car-- 

 ried down any nearer vertical than is represent- - 

 ed in the engraving, they may be opened and 

 carried down in the same manner, for each size 

 of the pipe, until the sides have approached so , 

 near, that a pipe of the size required oan be just 

 passed between them ; the cut may then be car- 

 ried down vertically to the depth required. This 

 allows much earth to remain which would be 

 thrown out if the sides were cut straight down 

 from the width opened at the top to the width at 

 bottom. A skilful workman will dig the trenches 

 with ease in this way, after some practice, though 

 it may be a little troublesome at first. lam now 

 having trenches dug in which the opening at the 

 surface is even less in width, for the required 

 depth, than Is here given. 



The labor of one man in a day of ten hours 

 varies very much under difi'erent circumstances. 



1. In hard, gravelly and clay soils, where pick- 

 ing is constantly necessary, a man will throw out 

 only from three t© five cubic yards in a day. 



2. In ordinary clay and gravel, with an occa- 

 sional use of the pick, he will throw out about 

 ten cubic yards in a day. 



3. In loose earth, without picking, or in shov- 



