88 



SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



good condition. Then, too, tiling, being laid under- 

 ground, is out of the way of tillage implements and does 

 not necessitate the waste of any land. 



The depth to which tile should be laid depends upon 

 the character of the soil, compact soil requiring deeper 

 drainage than loose soil. Tile from three to six inches 

 in diameter, laid from three to four feet deep and ninety 

 feet apart will, under ordinary conditions, remove the 

 surplus water from an area of eighty acres. 



Open ditches are often constructed either entirely or 

 partly with the aid of a plow and a scraper. The plow 

 is used first to make as deep a furrow as possible and to 

 loosen the earth, then the scraper is used to clean out 



'^>> -3 



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FIG. 32. -Surveying for a Line of Drain Tile with a Home-made Level. 



the loose earth. Ditch-digging machines propelled by 

 horses or by a steam or a gas engine are used in locali- 

 ties where much draining is ne essary. Closed ditches for 

 tile are commonly dug by ditchers with long-handled 



