On the Drainage of Land. 



295 



purpose of inserting into it the end of one of the lesser sort, and 

 allowing the water to enter ; in doing which the tile frequently 

 breaks to pieces, thus occasioning both waste and trouble ; or else 

 a small space is left between two tiles in the main where the 

 minor drain enters, and the aperture is covered with broken 

 pieces. A better mode is, to leave an opening in the side of as 

 many as may be required, for the insertion of the smaller ones, of 

 the exact size of the mouth of the latter ; but, in either case, care 

 should be taken to slope the bottom of the cross-drain gently 

 clown to the main receiver, so that their junction may be accu- 

 rately effected. 



In regard to the covering of drains, even experienced practical 

 men are not agreed. The greater part, indeed, recommend some 

 such porous material as peat, brushwood, tough haulm, or gorse, 

 to be laid over them, to the depth of 10 or 12 inches, before the 

 return of the top-soil ; as that^ if it be a tough clay, will, they say, 

 prevent the filtration of the water, and partly impede the opera- 

 tion of the drain : while some assert that, " however strong the 

 clay may be, it will not prevent the percolation," for, according 

 to an old adage, " if one drop of water finds its way down, two 

 will be sure to follow :" and a few, as we have seen in the ac- 

 count of wedge-draining, prefer the ramming down of the top- 

 soil, even of the strongest nature, immediately over the drains. 

 It must be admitted, on the part of the latter, that the effect of 

 drainage will, in no great length of time, render the entire of the 

 land so permeable that the action of the drain will not then be 

 seriously obstructed. The system advocated by the former is, 

 nevertheless, the most prudent ; and we learn, from some very 

 experienced drainers, that when the clay has been laid upon the 

 tiles it not only retains the water, but has been found to produce 

 more rushes immediately over the drams than on any other part 

 of the field. Perhaps small round stones or clean gravel, if they 

 can be easily had, are the best covering for the drain if the soil 

 be clay; or, if permeable, it may be safely thrown back; but, 

 whatever material maybe used, a green turf, cut thick, turned the 

 grass side downwards, and put next the tile, between it and the 

 covering, will be found a good precaution to secure it from 

 damage. 



It has been remarked by a late writer on agriculture, that, 

 were draining universally effected, the whole of the now com- 

 paratively unproductive soil of the country would, to a vast ex- 

 tent, be rendered capable of receiving the benefit of numerous 

 modes of fertilizing it. Its returns are immediate, as well as com- 

 pensative ; and to hesitate to drain the land is to hesitate to confer 

 a benefit upon oneself." 



One would suppose that, ^'iewing all its advantages, not an acre 



