

Kinds of Drains 445 



with mowing machine, both to keep it clean and to 

 utilize the land for hay. In many flat prairie sec- 

 tions there are " runs,' 7 "draws," "sloughs" or natural 

 waterways, through which the surface waters find 

 their way, in the spring and at times of heavy rains, 

 into drainage channels. Such drainage must usually 

 be handled in surface drains, and even when the 

 channel must in places have a depth of three feet, 

 it will be cheaper and far better in the long run to 

 make them with sloping sides not steeper than 1 in 

 2, or 12 feet wide at the top. If the work is done 

 in the dry season, most of it can be accomplished 

 with plow and scraper, and the earth moved back, 

 smoothed down and seeded to grass so as to make 

 it permanent, easily cared for, and not a serious 

 obstruction. 



Where turns must be made in such drains, they 

 should have a large curvature to prevent the water 

 cutting into the bank. 



HOW WATER ENTERS TILE DRAINS 



The flow of water into the tile drains takes place 

 through the walls of the tiles and through the joints 

 made by abutting the ends together. It is a common 

 impression that considerable space should be left 

 between the ends of the separate tiles, in order that 

 the water shall have opportunity to enter, and that it 

 is quite necessary that the lengths of the tile shall be 

 short, in order that there shall be sufficient space 

 left for the passage of the water. 



