AUG 



AUG 



AUGER. DRAINING. An instru- 

 ment employed lor the purpose of 

 boring into the bottoms of drains or 

 other places, in order to discover and 

 let olf water. It is nearly similar to 

 that made use of in searching for 

 coal or other subterraneous minerals. 

 The auger, shell, or wimble, as it is 

 variously called, for excavating the 

 earth or strata through which it pass- 

 es, is generally from two and a half 

 to three and a half inches in diam- 

 eter ; the hollow part of it is one foot 

 four inches in length, and construct- 

 ed nearly in the shape of the wimble 

 used by carpenters, only the sides of 

 the shell come closer to one another. 

 The rods are made in separate pieces 

 of four feet long each, that screw into 

 one another to any assignable length, 

 one after another, as the depth of the 

 hole requires. The size above the 

 auger is about an inch square, unless 

 at the joints, where, for the sake of 

 strength, they are a quarter of an 

 inch more. 



There is also a chisel and punch, 

 adapted for screwing on, in going 

 through hard gravel or other metal- 

 lic substances, to accelerate the pas- 

 sage of the auger, which could not 

 otherwise perforate such hard bod- 

 ies. The punch is often used, when 

 the auger is not applied, to prick or 

 open the sand or gravel, and give a 

 more easy issue to the water. The 

 chisel is an inch and a half or two 

 inches broad at the point, and made 

 very sharp for cutting stone ; and the 

 punch an inch square, like the other 

 part of the rods, with the point sharp- 

 ened also. 



As it is remarked by Johnstone, in 

 his account of Elkington's mode of 

 draining, to judge when to make use 

 of the borer is a difficult part of the 

 business of draining. Many who have 

 not seen it made use of in draining 

 have been led into a mistaken no- 

 tion, both as to the manner of using 

 it and the purposes for which it is ap- 

 plied. They think that if, by boring 

 indiscrimmately through the ground 

 to be drained, water is found near 

 enough to the surface to be reached 

 by the depth of the drain, the proper 



direction for it is along these holes 

 where water has been found, and thug 

 make it the first implement that is 

 used. The contrary, however, in 

 practice, is the case, and the auger 

 is never used till after' the drain is 

 cut, and then for the purpose of per- 

 forating any retentive or impervious 

 stratum lying between the bottom of 

 the drain and the reservoir or strata 

 containing the spring. Thus it great- 

 ly lessens the trouble and expense 

 that would otherwise be requisite in 

 cutting the trench to that depth to 

 which, in many instances, the level 

 of the outlet will not admit. The 

 manner of using it is simply thus : In 

 working it, two, or, rather, three men 

 are necessary ; two stand above, on 

 each side of the drain, who turn it 

 round by means of the wooden hin- 

 dles, and when the auger is full they 

 draw it out ; and the man in the bot- 

 tom of the trench clears out the earth, 

 assists in pulling it out, and directing 

 it into the hole ; and he can also as- 

 sist in turning with the iron handle 

 or key, when the depth and length of 

 rods require additional force to per- 

 form the operation. The workmen 

 should be cautious, in boring, not to 

 go deeper at a time, without drawing, 

 than the exact length of the slieU, 

 otherwise the earth, clay, or sand 

 through which it is boring, after the 

 shell is full, makes it very difficult to 

 pull out. For this purpose, the exact 

 length of the shell should be regular- 

 ly marked on the rods, from the bot- 

 tom upward. Two flat boards, with 

 a hole cut into the side of one of 

 them, and laid alongside of one an- 

 other over the drain in the time of 

 boring, are very useful for directing 

 the rods in gomg down perpendicu- 

 larly, for keeping them steady in bo- 

 ring, and for the men standing on 

 when performing the operation. 



AUGUST. In this month the 

 stacking of hay and other crops har- 

 vested is to be attended to. Root 

 crops have been laid up, and the land 

 cleared of weeds. Turnips for an af- 

 ter crop may be sown, if the weather 

 be not too dry. Budding may be done 

 with advantage. Preparations are to 



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