SOILS 



outside the ditch, so as not to lower its bottom. 

 Double mouldboard plows and special "lateral 

 plows'* are also used. When it is necessary for a 

 distributing ditch to cross over a small depression 

 it must be Duilt up by heaping firmly tramped soil 

 into a high pile, in the top of which the water 

 course is cut. 



If the depression is deep it may be more 

 expedient to carry the water across it in a 

 wooden flume, built of two planks, like a V, or 

 square-bottomed. In arid regions ditches are 

 used almost exclusively for distributing water from 

 the main supply, being cheaply built and easy 

 to handle. 



The loss of water from lateral ditches by seepage 

 is great, especially on open soils ; were they not so 

 cheap they would be impracticable. Pipes carry 

 the water to its destination with no seepage, with 

 no evaporation and with great celerity. Their 

 expense is against them for general use in arid 

 regions but in the Eastern States they are often 

 used to advantage in small operations, especially 

 in market gardening. Board flumes are perishable 

 and permit of evaporation, but they are cheap 

 and are usually the most practical means of dis- 

 tributing water if the ditch will not answer. The 

 best flume for carrying a small amount of water is 

 a V-shaped trough made of two boards nailed 

 together and bedded in the soil, with short cross 

 pieces under the end joints. If pipes are used they 

 had better be laid on the surface and removed in 

 the fall. 



The use of cement-lined ditches for distribu- 

 ting water, in the arid regions and elsewhere, 

 is increasing. If the soil is stiff and the region is 

 not subject to hard frosts, cement or asphaltum 



