DRAINING THE LAND 163 



fitting joints. Collars may be used, or any broken tile or 

 stone, for covering the poorly fitting joints. When the 

 tiles are laid, carefully fix fast the tile by banking either 

 side with fine dirt, after which the trench may be quickly 

 filled by hand or by plow. 



Protect the outlet. More than one farmer makes a mis- 

 take by not protecting the outlet of his tile drain. In the 

 summer season, when no water is being moved, the tile 

 drain becomes a pleasant abiding place, or often a shelter, 

 for rats, rabbits, and other hole-seeking animals. It fre- 

 quently happens that these animals get caught in the tile, 

 and are unable to extricate themselves, thus dying in their 

 underground retreat. Their remains offer a splendid lodg- 

 ment for silt and clay, and soon completely fill up the 

 drain, rendering it useless, and, to be repaired, a more or 

 less costly undertaking. 



A wire screen may be provided with little labor and 

 with no expense, that will completely protect the outlet 

 against these mishaps, and this will keep the drain ser- 

 viceable for a time beyond estimation. 



While tile drainage, on a large scale, and for the entire 

 country, is unnecessary, there still remains the fact that 

 in every section of the country there are certain small 

 areas that will be greatly improved, in fact, even remade, 

 at little expense and cost, by under-drainage through tiles, 

 while, on the other hand, in some sections there are some 

 soils so impervious that under-drainage is impracticable. 



