On the Drainage of Land. 
331 
deep with the soil as firm round them as if it had been rammed 
in : now into such a drain as that the water has considerably 
more difficulty to pass tlian into a clay drain, because in the latter 
it can pass in through the sides and bottom below the arch ; but 
if the soil be kneaded so firmly round the tiles as to be impervious 
to water, it can only enter at bottom, and then naturally very 
slowly, as, the drains being so shallow, there is little weight of 
water to force it in ; but if they are made as above advised, the 
horses will never tread it so firm as it was before it was moved; 
for in cutting across old drains of that depth you always find the 
moved soil more hollow than the remainder. 
With regard to rubble draining, what little I have done I have 
filled in about 12 inches deep with stones, putting a little stubble 
or rough grass to prevent the dirt falling among the stones, then 
filling in the soil, treading it tolerably firm. Perhaps in filling 
drains with the same soil that has been taken out on tenacious 
clays, through which the water naturally percolates slowly, you 
may, after very hasty rains or rapid thaws, find the water lie on 
the surface for a short time. This may be the reason for which 
persons fill them with stones or porous earth to admit the water, 
but I consider the remedy worse than the disease, as such hasty 
rains being admitted so fast would be more likely to wash the 
soil in and fill them up than the mere swill of the drain itself ; 
besides, suppose the water do lie on the land a few hours after 
such weather once or twice in the course of the winter, there is no 
damage done; it is not land being wet in wet weather that injures 
it, but a continued sodden state when it ought to be dry : how 
soon a few dry cold days will tell on such land in the spring of 
the year ! 
The expense is the great bar to this necessary improvement, 
especially where the owners will neither assist themselves nor let 
for a term, so that the tenant may reap the benefit of an outlay by 
himself; all the eloquence that all the speakers of this country 
possess will not persuade farmers under such circumstances to 
expend from 21. to 5/. per acre in improving their land, nor is it 
likely, when they so often see persons turned out of their farms 
through the mere caprice of the landlord or steward, often through 
the dishonesty of the latter ; you cannot call it any milder term, as 
you often see it is those that have made greatest improvements on 
their farms. But to the point: the expense per acre must be 
variable, therefore it will be best to give the cost per chain of 
22 yards. I will first compare tiles with stones as they have each 
cost myself: I could dig stone on the farm, but I preferred mak- 
ing tiles, as I could not buy them under 40^. or 45^. per 1000; 
I have reckoned them at 30^. for small and 40s. for mains ; 1 
made them 13 inches, but they will not stand more than 1 1 inches 
