THE GENESEE FARMER. 



43 



and was then as good as ever. Still, as a general 

 rule, they are not so permanent as tile drains, and, 

 where tiles can be obtained at reasonable rates. 



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^fe 



1 



Fio. 9. 



they are more costly, from the greater width of 

 •drain required. We give cuts of two kinds of -stone 

 drains. Fig. 8 shows a drain formed of flat stones, 

 neatly arranged in the bottom of the trench. The 

 largest and flattest stones are used in laying the 

 bottom, and for covers ; the smaller ones are placed 

 on the sides ; the Avhole forming an open tube, as 

 represented in the cut Fig, 9 shows a stone drain 

 formed by placing first a flat stone in the bottom 

 of the trench, by way of sote ; upon this two other 

 stones are placed, with their lower edges close to 

 the sides of the ti'encli, but having their upper 

 «dges resting upon -each other. Sometimes two 

 flat stones are placed, one on either side of the 

 trench, without any sole, and having the space 

 between them filled up with stones inserted edge- 

 wise. In forming stone drains, the workmen ttsu- 

 ally throw in all the smaller stones which may be 

 left over after the culvert is formed, disposing diem 

 so as to cover up any apertures which may he left 

 between the joinings of the larger stones. 



Much difierence of opinion exists as to what 

 shape is best for draining tiles. The horseshoe tile 



Fig. 10. 

 was first Introduced, and has still many advocates ; 

 but as they require some kind of sole to rest upon 

 in loose soils, we incline to the opinion that small 



Fio. 11. 



pipes are preferable. Theoreticalli/, the oval (fig. 

 10) is the best form of pipes; but from the diffi- 

 culty of placing them in the drain expeditiously and 

 properly, we think they are not practically so good 



as the round pipe (fig, 11), and which can he made 

 at less cost. 



In cutting the trenches for the reception of pipe 

 tiles, a gi-eat improvement has of late years been 

 introduced, by the employment of the bottoming 

 tools figs. 12, 13. In clay soils, the trench should 

 be cut of a convenient width for the operations 

 of the workman, to within 

 nine inches or a foot of the 

 total depth ; tlie bottoming 

 tool is then employed to 

 take out the remaining por- 

 tion, in the form of a nar- 

 row spit, of Just euflScient 

 size to admit the pipe. By 

 this means no more work 

 is done in cutting than is 

 required, while the fitting 

 of the pipes to each other 

 is secured. In stony soils 

 it is impossible to remove 

 so great a depth as a foot 

 in this manner ; but, at aU 

 events, a few inches should 

 be taken out, so as to se- 

 cure the steady arrange- Fio- 12. Fio. 13. 

 ment of the pipes. Fig. 14 represents a trench cut 

 in clay ready to receive the pipes, and fig. 15 rep 

 resents a section of the finished drain. 





I 



i 



Fig, 15. 



All soOs, but especially those containing clay, 

 possess the property of expanding when wetted, 

 and contracting when dried ; so that after the di-ain 

 has removed a portion of the water, a Considerable 

 contraction takes place, especially in a dry season ; 

 but as the ends of a field can not approach each 

 other to suit the cDn traction, both soil and sulisoil 

 are torn asunder, and divided into small portions 

 by a network of cracks and fissures. The tendency 

 of draining is to increase and guide the course of this 

 cracking action. The main fissures all commence at 

 the drain, and spiead from it in almost straight Uncs 



