Mole Draining. 



[Jan., 



There are two methods of proceeding. Either the moles are 

 first run and then the mains are put in, or the mains are first 

 laid and the moles run over them. In either case the work 

 must be carefully planned beforehand.* If the moles are run 

 first the mains should be laid with as little delay as possible. 

 On lighter land and where the fall is slight it is better to lay 

 tlie main drains before running the moles, otherwise a heavy 

 shower may ruin the work completely. The advantage of 

 running the moles first is that they can be cleared out with a 

 stick as the mains are dug and a free outlet secured into the 

 main. As a rule pipes are used for the mains and also for tKe 

 beginning of each mole drain to make a good junction with the 

 main. 



Where the slopes drained by the moles are short, the mains 

 may be laid with 2J-in. pipes, but where the slopes are longer 

 3 -in. pipes should be used. The longer the slopes and the 

 steeper the fall the more numerous should be the main outlets 

 -—at any rate there should always be at least one for every three 

 acres. 



The moles are sometimes started from holes, or " eyes." 

 into which the coulter, with the plug attached, is dropped ; but 

 often when the lie of the land and the lay-out of the proposed 

 drains admit it, the mole is allowed to bury itself. If, for 

 instance, the main runs parallel with the side of the field and 

 not less than 14 yds. from it, the mole drain can begin at the 

 surface and will have reached full depth by the time it crosses 

 the line of the main. 



' The tunnel produced is very similar to a mole's "run," and 

 if the subsoil is of the right texture and moistness, an efficient 

 drain is obtained. The disturbance caused by the coulter itself 

 is very small and as a rule the cut soon closes up. Even when 

 a crop is being grown on the land the work may be done 

 without causing any very serious damage, especially if done in 

 dry weather and before the crop is more than a few inches high. 



There should be a main drain along the bottom of the field; 

 in the case of an uneven field main drains should be made along 

 the hollows. For cutting the main drains, a drain-cutting 

 machine, such as the Swedish " Kevolt " excavator, will save 



. -"'It is a good plan, where mole draining has not been done before, to get a 

 few hints from a steam plough foreman ; he will often see reasons for putting 

 in mains which have not occurred to the farmer. 



For instance, in planning mains, it is well to know the extreme distance 

 that the engine can cover in one pull. This seldom exceeds 200 yd. 

 Attention to this and like points will often save much labour. 



