330 
On the Drainage of Land. 
effective with the other. There is one necessary precaution to 
f take, never to make clay-drains where the water is liable to lie 
in them from flood or other causes, and for this reason it will be 
necessary to have a tolerable good fall, say not less than 1 in 60 ; 
. also where the clay-drains are used for mains, not to get a very 
great quantity of water together. About 2 acres will be quite 
enough for one main drain ; if more, I should advise stone or tile 
for the main drain, and then to empty them often. My reason 
for saying so much on this mode of draining is this, that it is so 
well calculated, from its cheapness, for tenant-farmers like myself. 
How many such do I know who would gladly accept the offer of 
their landlords to find tiles for the tenant to put them in ; but how 
many landlords seem blind to improvements of this sort, either 
from ignorance, or, perhaps what is oftener the case, want of 
means ? Now, by this method a tenant who has any certainty of 
holding his farm for a term may drain it at less expense than he 
can haul tiles and put them in, where the land is suitable for it, 
and there is a great quantity of such land in this country, namely, 
clay-soil, with a fall of not less than 1 in 60 or 70. I have drained 
myself in this way about 35 acres arable and as much pasture ; 
and if any one has any doubt about its answering, 1 will refer 
them to Mr. lies and Mr. Job Hill, of Poulton, near Cirencester, 
and to Mr. Jonah Newman, of Castle Eaton, near Highworth, 
Wilts ; and another person told me lately he was quite surprised 
at the effect it had had on flat clay-soil. 
Filling Drains. — Where I have used tiles, which I have done 
on soils varying from a very porous subsoil to a very strong clay, I 
have always filled them in with earth just as it was taken out, 
merely treading it in to make the drain hold it ; the only soil for 
which I should take the trouble to procure any other material 
would be on running sands ; a fine running or quicksand, I have 
understood (as I have never had any such), is the most difficult 
land to drain of any, as they so soon choke up ; if flats the whole 
length of the tiles, and a little clay soil trod rather firmly round 
them, would not prevent it, I would put a little under them, to 
prevent the sand from rising ; if drains are made 30 inches deep 
and as narrow as possible, so that a man can work, there will be- 
no necessity for that great and unnecessary expense of drawing 
stones or porous earth to place upon the tiles ; but if put in only 
from 12 to 18 inches on clay soils, then stones, brushwood, &c., 
are necessary to make it appear something the better for the 
trouble. I cannot speak too positively on the necessity of making 
deep drains in tenacious soils, at least 30 inches, not but deep drains 
. are best on all, yet an 18 inch cut may drain a porous soil tolerably 
; well, but on a clay it will not drain far ; a person told me he 
had some tiles taken up that were put in about 16 or 18 inches 
