105 



hands over 1800 feet of tile, on less tlian an acre of land at a 

 cost of about 1175.00 ; and at this late date (for writing a re- 

 port), Dec. lOtli — stiff and sore with rheumatism, from having 

 worked in frozen ditches — he is happy to give his experience, 

 gratuitously, to the public, hoping to aid some fellow-laborer 

 by his success, as well as his mistakes. This article is not in- 

 tended to be a thorough treatise on underdraining, but a few 

 practical hints, collected while engaged in the work, will be 

 thrown out as they occur to me. I should prefer to drain in 

 August, September or October ; never again in November. 

 Do it in a dry time, and after commencing, finish it up as 

 quickly as possible. 



We, this year, waited to remove nursery stock, and as it 

 was, had to arch six times under evergreen hedges. I now 

 design to trench this piece two feet deep, and consider it my 

 most valuable land. It was a sunken place, very near my 

 buildings, where tlie water is retained for several weeks in 

 spring, by higher ground directly below. The fall is ample 

 and constant, so that no instruments were used in staking it 

 out. In the first place, look over, carefully, tlie piece to be 

 drained, using judgment and common sense in locating the 

 ditches. The outlet must be the lowest point, and the main 

 ditches should be through the lowest land. The laterals 

 should enter the main ditches in the direction of the outlet, 

 and no two should be opposite. The distance apart will de- 

 pend upon circumstances. On moist or moderately wet land, 

 for grass or other field crops, thirty, forty or even fifty feet 

 would do, but on wet retentive land, designed for valuable 

 stock or choice vegetables, fifteen, twenty to twenty-five feet 

 apart would be necessary. 



If the piece to be drained is large and nearly level, it would 



be better to employ an engineer with levelling instruments, and 



have the depth to be dug marked on stakes, all over ihe piece 



Although a very slight fall will do (2 inches to the 100 leet), 



it is always better to have more if possible. 



