340 



Working dress for Farmers. 



Vol. II. 



"vvith care, so that the soles shall be placed 

 firmly and evenly on their bed ; and so that 

 the acclivity siiall be always sufficient to 

 cause the water to run. The earth is shovel- 

 led back upon the tiles, and care should al- 

 ways be taken that tlie looser soil of the sur- 

 face be laid next to the tiles, so that the 

 space above them may be rendered as pervi- 

 ous as possible to water. • When there is 

 any sod upon the surface at the time of drain- 

 ing-, this should be laid aside, and placed upon 

 the tiles with the grassy side below, and then 

 the looser soil next the surface is to be shov- 

 elled in, and lastly the more tenacious subsoil. 

 And it is even an improvement in this kind 

 of drains to lay over the liles some gravel, 

 sand, peat, or other pervious matter, before 

 replacmg' the earth. This species of drain- 

 ing is of admirable use in drymg the soil, by 

 attbrding outlets to the water with which it 

 may be charged, but care should be taken not 

 to apply the principle to cases to winch it is 

 unsuited. It is plain that the method is not 

 well adapted to the removal of springs and 

 swamps produced by water beneath the sur 

 face. It may indeed keep the stratym of 

 soil comparatively dry, even when the wet- 

 ness is produced by the rising of water from 

 beneath, but then it is a very inartiiicial 

 method of producing the effect, since the wa- 

 ter may be lar more effectually removed by 

 intercepting it by a drain along the line of 

 the descent, in the manner before explained. 



This kind of draining is mainly to be re- 

 commended for its efficiencj', and for its 

 speedy action in rendering the soil dry. — 

 When the tiles are good and laid with care, 

 these drains will last for a long period. — 

 When choked at any particular part, they can 

 be easily taken up at that part, and the tiles 

 replaced, or new ones substituted. 



Thorns, brushwood, and branches, are fre- 

 quently employed in the filling of drains. 

 They serve the purpose of affording a more 

 pervious channel to water, but they soon de- 

 cay, and the drains are very apt to be choked. 

 Sometimes, indeed, thi^ channels formed by 

 the water remain, when there is a considera- 

 ble current, long after these materials have 

 decayed. But this cannot be depended upon, 

 and such materials, therefore, ought not to be 

 used if better can be obtained. 



Sometimes a species of draining, termed 

 Wedge-draining, has been employed. Tl e 

 general method of performing this is to form 

 a narrow trench with a long narrow shovel. 

 The spit being taken out as deep as die shovel 

 can go, a scoop is employed to clear out the 

 mud and loose earth at the bottom. Then 

 another spade narrower than the first is used, 

 and a second spit taken out, and lastly a cor- 

 responding shovel still to clear the whole out, 

 forming a trench with a ledge as in fig. 67. 



Fig. fi7. 



A piece of sod, with the grass side below, 

 is then forced down, and resting upon the 

 ledge, a space is left tor the water below. 

 Sometimes the ledge is dispensed with, and 

 the sod is merely formed into a wedge, nar- 

 rowed towards the grassy side, and this, 

 when the little trench is cleared out, is pres- 

 sed into it and covered with earth; and as it 

 does not reach the narrow bottom, a channel 

 remains below, through which the water per- 

 colates. 



This simple species of drain has been ex- 

 tensively adopted in some districts; and as it 

 is easily formed, and as the number of drains 

 may be multiplied at little expense, conside- 

 rable benefit has resulted from tlie use of it. 

 But although drains of this kind will some- 

 times remain open for a considerable time, 

 they are exceedingly apt to be closed up; on 

 which account, the use of tile is in most 

 cases to be preferred. 



For the Farmers' Cabint-t. 



"Working Dress for Fanners. 



Goi)d sense is shown in dress. 



Every person should be clad in a dress 

 adapted to his occupation or calling; this in- 

 dicates sound judgment and good taste, and 

 enables a family to save a good many stray 

 dollars in the course of a year. In our coun- 

 try, bui little attention has been- paid to this 

 important matter, and much unnecessary ex- 

 pense is annually incurred for want of adopt- 

 ing a cheap and simple costume for a work- 

 ing dress, which we should not be afraid of 

 having dirtied or injured by the business we 

 are engaged in, and which can be quickly 

 put on or off, as occasion may require. In 

 France, where convenience and economy has 

 been studied by the agriculturist, there is a 

 particular dress worn, which contributes 

 much to comfort, and has a very neat and 

 pleasing appearance. It much resembles 

 what is called the "hunting shirt" in this 

 country, is made for summer wear of un- 

 bleached linen, conies halfway down to the 

 knees, has a breast pocket on each side with 

 buttons, and an open slit in the seam on each 



