466 Transactions of the American Institute. 



drainage be imperfectly done, it is worse for the land than if it had 

 not been drained ; for imperfect work destroys the natural leakage 

 that has been going on for generations. When it is necessary to 

 operate, the first consideration should be the nature of the subsoil, 

 and whether intended for permanent pasture or arable. If for the 

 latter, and the subsoil should be of a strong clay tendency, the depth 

 should not be less than four feet, and not more than twenty-one feet 

 apart from drain to drain ; on more porous soils, both the depth and 

 width should be increased, and in some instances a single drain will 

 sufficiently dry a whole field. This is the case where a single spring 

 exists, and the residue of the land of a dry nature ; but my experience 

 is that drainage does great good in our most apparent dry subsoils, 

 even should no water ever lodge on such land. I have known sandy 

 land in England always foul and rough with couch grass — which is 

 the arable farmer's greatest enemy — till one or two very deep drains 

 have been inserted ; and where even at the depth of ten feet no water 

 was visible, still the subsoil if held in the hand a short time would 

 leave moisture upon it ; after drainage, the couch grass would entirely 

 disappear in two years. "The next important thing is the size of the 

 drain tile. The pipe should always be of such dimensions that never 

 more than half should fill with water, and the other half remain for 

 the a 1 mission of air ; for should the drain pipe become quite filled 

 with water, and no air admitted, it can never operate, but will become 

 stagnant in the soil. The drains, when freshly cut and the pipe 

 properly placed, should remain open for a week or two, so as to enable 

 the subsoil to become thoroughly pulverized, and should always be 

 replaced in the drain in a dry state ; the drainage will at once act 

 upon the land ; whereas, if the subsoil should be replaced in the drain 

 in a raw or fresh state, it will take two years before action takes place. 

 1 have drained some thousands of acres in England — soils of all 

 descriptions — and I found by experience that it was impossible to 

 drain too deep. The average price per acre on one large estate was 

 from five to eight pounds completed ; the work was generally executed 

 by piece or task work, the men earning good wages ; and as the win- 

 ter season is the best time to operate, gentlemen requiring draining 

 rto be done cannot better employ their capital than giving such kind 

 of work to the laborer during the inclement weather when little else 

 can be done. 



Report on Boynton's Lightning Saws. 

 Mr.. John Crane, from the committee to examine the lightning saw 

 of Mr. E. M. Boynton, of Beekman street, New York, respectfully 



