,.,,.). 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



•J.!> 



THOROUGH DRAWING. 



< >•-..: ol the in' • t valuah in the large vol 



. Y. State Agricultu- 



i >r i s i" ; . ( which volume is an honor to 



! • v and <."<>ii nt ry. ) is an article on the sub- 



of Thorough Draining, from the pen of John 



• ■■. i' q . of Senece County- Our columns 



iled in this number to admit the 



i ull (list Mr. I). has written on this 



the work before us. He gives a lucid and 



tut. ■-. iccount < ! the geological character of 



the soil an I r cks of his county, and clearly indicates, 

 from r> reonal observation and experience, the 1 1 

 Bity of under-draining to remove the excess of water 

 in the subsoil, w bich gn atly impair tation 



to wheat culture. Lfter tating that all main drains 

 should be al I •! i three feei rfei p, and 4< I 

 thirty inches, he adds: 



"Many and various are the contri ed in 



!";■ construction of drains, and as usual, in all pro- 

 jects used as expedients, they arc faulty, and soon 

 become useless. Among 'I 1 " most approved are the 

 following; 



Drains made by masonry are intended for mains, 

 bit they nre too expensive for our farms. The square 

 stone and the triangular stone drains are probably 

 the best, where stone of proper dimensions can be 

 procured oh the field to be drained. If however, 

 stone is to be hauled from any distance, then a tile 

 drain, which will be described presently, is much 

 the best and cheapest. The ether drains, as figured, 

 have been ssed with success, while they lasted^ 



>ver perform their ive two or three years. 



i rs affecting out property, any prospect 



for its improvement i rery scrutinizing exami- 



nation sured of its necessity, 



and than I manner of aecom- 



plishiagthe cha :essity for irnpro? 



by drai been clearly demonstrated; 



and the best method for locating and opening d 

 has been in. lica< now intended to draw your 



I drain of the present 

 day. 



When you have judiciously marked out your field 



to he drained, and staked the course of the B 



tr tnches, let them be accurately dug at least three 



d< en, and not over thirty feet asunder, for tho- 



h draining. The trenches Liti es must run 



doicu the slopes, and v.<,i across them, that the water 



go off freely. Dig the trenches as narrow as 



may be, so that a man can clean out the bottom and 



construct the drain; the width at bottom for the 

 main drains; need not exceed ten inches, and for all 

 other drains not to ex< i inches. Be careful 



to have the grade on the fall of the water not less 

 than one foot in one hundred — remembering that a 

 greater fail will more Teadily prevent the accumula- 

 tion of sediment. Cut the main trench first all the 

 way through the field, and do not lay in the materials 

 until you have ascertained that the dimensions and 

 grade are correct throughout. You are now ready 

 to construct the drain ivitih tyles of a semi-cilindrical 

 form. These tiles are made of burned clay of 

 various lengths, from 12 to 13, 3 4 and 15 inches, 

 the width and height being 2h by 3k inches, and l 

 by 5 inches. When these tiles are well made they 

 aTe smooth and heavy, and ring when .-truck with a 

 hard substance. They are so strong that a man 

 my stand or lean on them without breaking them. 

 The drawing now exhibited will explain the form of 

 the tile, and the manner of laying them in the trench: 



You will perceive that the tiles are laid upon hat 

 tiles, called soles, and this is brought to your notice, 



