488 Irrigation and Drainage 



on a long evener. Where a road scraper is available, 

 this makes a good tool for finishing up with after 

 the line is filled enough to cross with the team. 

 Another method of filling, where the work is done by 

 hand, is to tie a rope to the handle of a broad scoop, 

 which is worked by a man across the ditch, while 

 another guides the shovel as though not assisted by 

 the man with the rope. In this way the dirt is filled 

 in rapidly. 



Still another method is to use a team on a wide 

 board scraper provided with handles, drawing it toward 

 the ditch, the team being attached by means of a long 

 rope and working on the opposite side of the ditch, 

 the filling being done by driving forward and then 

 backing, the man holding the scraper pulling the tool 

 back. 



When quicksand is encountered in laying tile, it 

 may be necessary to brace the sides of the ditch to 

 prevent caving, when digging. This may be done by 

 driving sticks in between two pieces of board, thus 

 holding them against the opposite sides of the 

 ditch. It is occasionally true that the bottom is so 

 soft from quicksand that the tile cannot be laid to 

 grade, and in such cases a fence board may be 

 placed on the bottom and the tile laid upon this. 

 In other cases the ditch may be dug a little below 

 grade line, and the bottom covered with clay, if that 

 is available, so as to form a foundation upon which 

 to place the tile. It will sometimes be true that a 

 quicksand spot will become sufficiently firm to lay 

 across if it is permitted to drain three or four days, 



