Drainage. — 97 



3 or 4-inch tile, and for the lower half or one-third 6-inch and perhaps 

 even larger sizes may be necessary. The number and length of 

 laterals, and amount of water passing through them, determines 

 this question. 



Laying the Tiles. — Next to perfect grading of the bottom, 

 the effectiveness and permanency of the whole draining operation 

 depends on the careful laying of the tiles. The work should never 

 be entrusted to a raw hand, unless the latter is endowed with an 

 unusual amount of common sense, skill and intelligence. It is 

 much safer to employ a man used to such work, and pay him 

 good wages by the day, not by the rod or job. It is not safe to 

 run the least risk of having this important job slighted. Laying 

 the tile should follow immediately upon the levelling (grading) 

 of the bottom, and in order to perform this task without stepping 

 into the ditch, a six foot pole with a y^ inch iron rod fastened to 

 the end and bent in the form of an elbow, is used to handle section 



Tile on Soft Bottom. Tile on Clay Bottom. 



after section of tile, and placing it- in its proper place. The ends 

 should be closely fitted together, and clay subsoil firmly packed 

 around them to hold them in their place, until the ditches can be 

 filled up again to the top. Fine surface soil or anything that will 

 decay, should not be put immediately in contact with the tiles. 

 It is also essential that the point of discharge in the laterals 

 should be a few inches above the level of the main, to insure a 

 good flow. It is obvious that the tile can be laid directly upon 

 the bottom of the ditch when the subsoil is perfectly hard and 

 solid, especially if of stiff clay. Soft muck or quicksand in the 

 bottom of drains makes it necessary to rest the tiles upon a line 

 of narrow (6 inch) boards placed in the drain, as here illustrated. 

 In some instances tile cannot be readily obtained, at least not 

 without paying heavy transportation expenses, and other means 

 7 



