no 



Gardening for Amateurs 



possible, until a more porous or sandy 

 stratum is reached, and then the water will 

 easily flow through this, and not accumu- 

 late. 



In a large garden a main drain of larger 

 pipes is often necessary, with the branch 

 drains leading from this ; direction is again 

 ruled by the slope. Drain pipes should be 

 laid in ditches from 10 to 20 feet apart, 

 according to whether the land is heavy or 

 light, and except in unusual cases only one 

 " main " drain is necessary. Side drains are 

 laid to branch out from the main drain ; no 

 special provision is made for the water to 



Layer of cinders beneath a bush planted in heavy soil 

 to prevent stagnant water collecting about the roots 



enter the larger pipes, but it soon finds its 

 way in through the joints. 



Making the Drains. Drain pipes can 

 easily be obtained through some of the 

 horticultural dealers and they may be 

 bought in any quantity. They are of all 

 sizes, but for gardening purposes 3 to 4 

 inches is the usual diameter, with those 

 6 inches wide for the main pipes. No 

 collars on the ends of the pipes are now 

 considered necessary, and the straight pipes 

 some 15 to 16 inches long, are laid end to 

 end along the ditch dug out to contain them. 

 When the pipes pass underneath a path 

 where the traffic is heavy or through a wet, 

 sodden piece of ground it is advisable to 

 lay long pieces of ordinary garden fencing 

 material below them so as to prevent their 

 getting worked out of place by the move- 



ment above. The ditch dug out for the 

 drain tiles may be of any shape, but an ex- 

 perienced man always makes it taper from 

 top to bottom until it is just sufficiently 

 wide to hold the pipe. Depth varies with 

 circumstances, but very rarely does it exceed 

 50 inches, and it is generally unwise to have 

 the pipes less than 30 inches deep, while for 

 the ordinary small garden 36 to 40 inches is 

 a good average depth. The bottom of the 

 ditch is made even, and the pipes are laid 

 along it, not too closely together, as the 

 space between them allows the water to pass 

 freely inside. When they are in position 

 all stones of any size are picked 

 out of the earth which was dug 

 from the ditch, and these, along 

 with rough clinkers, bricks, and 

 the like, are dropped carefully on 

 top of the pipes. If the ground is 

 loose and fine a layer of turf 

 on top of this is advisable in order 

 to prevent fine soil getting washed 

 down into and clogging the pipes. 

 The soil is now filled into the drain 

 and allowed to settle naturally, 

 never being tramped firmly down. 

 Other Methods of Draining. 

 Nothing surpasses drain or field 

 pipes for permanence and effective- 

 ness, yet much can be done with- 

 out them to ensure that water 

 is carried away. Quite frequently 

 we have heard of ditches being 

 filled in with stones alone ; in one garden 

 we know ordinary brushwood was used, 

 and occasionally one hears of wooden ar- 

 rangements of various kinds being employed 

 for the purpose. If we were to advise 

 any of these we should certainly select 

 stones, which afford a fairly satisfactory 

 drainage, but pipes are so cheap that they 

 are within the reach of everyone. When 

 the gardener wishes to grow half-hardy 

 plants in heavy soil, or even where he plants 

 permanently some choice shrub or tree, he 

 should never neglect placing a good layer of 

 cinders or stones in the subsoil to prevent 

 water stagnating round the roots and acting 

 deleteriously on the bush. 



When to Lay Drains. Drains may be 

 made at any time, but they are generally 

 constructed immediately after the site for 



