228 SOILS 



wad of small roots, completely closing the bore. 

 Willows, elms, white maples and other water-loving 

 trees are the worst offenders. If possible, avoid 

 laying drains within thirty to sixty feet of trees, 

 according to the size of the trees. If a line of tiles 

 must run close to a tree use sewer pipe near 

 it and cement the joints. This is the great 

 difficulty in tile-draining orchard land. The 

 roots of other farm crops rarely clog a tile 

 drain. The obstruction of drains by animals, 

 as frogs, muskrats and rats, is prevented by 

 covering the outlet with wire netting or iron 

 grating. 



When a drain is clogged the land near the ob- 

 struction gradually becomes wet, and but little 

 water flows from the outlet. A partial obstruction 

 may sometimes be removed by flushing, which 

 is done by closing the outlet of the drain until 

 the drain and the surrounding soil are filled 

 with water, then opening it. The comparative 

 level at which water stands in small deep 

 holes dug parallel to the suspected drain 

 will usually locate the exact point of an ob- 

 struction. 



COST OF LAYING TILE DKAINS 



-> This is from $12.00 to $60.00 per acre according 

 to the number of ditches opened, the nature of 

 the soil and the cost of tiles and labor. The more 

 the larger sizes of tiles are used the greater is the 

 expense. The expense of digging the ditch and lay- 

 ing the tiles should average about $3.00 to $4.00 per 

 100 feet for laterals, and more proportionately 

 for the mains. The cost of tiles varies greatly; 

 the list prices of the manufacturers are usually 



