ROOT FIBRE IN DRAINS. 29 



and completely incapable of performing its functions. 

 The water contained in the soil and drains has been 

 on occasions so great as to render it necessary to stop 

 operations until the flow has ceased. We have known 

 nearly a whole day required for this, which shows the 

 quantity of water stored up. 



When meeting with these obstructions, it has been 

 necessary to follow up long lengths of drains before 

 the fibre can be fairly got rid of, which adds consider- 

 ably to the cost of drainage. This also shows how 

 necessary it is in pipe-drainage to cut down or avoid 

 all kinds of trees near any portion of the system, and 

 also proves the necessity of open drains when draining 

 for arboricultural purposes. It may not be out of 

 place here to quote on this point the opinion of that 

 well-known authority on drainage, the late J. Bailey 

 Denton, expressed in his " Retrospect of Forty Years' 

 Experiences," p. 56 : " The mischief done to drainage 

 by tree roots is very considerable. Within this last 

 month I have known 4.0 expended in clearing pipes 

 of roots in a property of only 600 acres of heavy clay 

 land. The drainage was executed in the years 1862-3, 

 since which time the tenant has had reason to complain 

 of the want of effect. Had the trees within reach of 

 the drains been removed at the time the drainage was 

 done, all objection might have been avoided, or had 

 the drains been examined as soon as water was seen 

 rising to the surface, the evil might have been dis- 

 covered and removed. As it was, however, the 

 stoppages accumulated until the cost of the remedy 

 reached the amount stated." 



Before treating in detail this important subject, it 



