Drainage Levels 



469 



well, but, what is more important, that he may be 

 able to recognize the essential qualities in the man 

 who will place the tiles, and satisfy himself that he 

 possesses them. 



It will often happen, however, that drainage 

 experts cannot be had, and there may be small areas 

 to drain, involving relatively but small expense, 

 where the farmer may do his own work or super- 

 vise it. 



METHODS OF DETERMINING LEVELS 



Where the services of a man with instruments for 

 determining levels for lines of drains cannot be had, 

 there are various simple means for doing this work 

 which may be employed 



where great accuracy is not H ^^ Jt 



required, and among these ^- i 



perhaps the safest is the water-level, 

 represented in Fig. 152. This may 

 be made of %-inch gas pipe, with two 

 elbows and a T, as shown in th6 sketch, 

 the standard being sharpened by a black- 

 smith or by inserting a wooden point. 

 In the two elbows, which are about 

 four feet apart, there are cemented 

 short pieces of glass tube, or slender 

 phials, %-inch in diameter, with the 

 bottoms broken out, and provided with corks, To use 

 the instrument, the tube is filled with water colored with 

 bluing or ink, so as to show in the two tubes of 

 glass, when the arm is horizontal. By forcing the foot 



Fig. 152. 

 Construction 



of a 

 water-level. 



