1869.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
95 
lows its (lam about the field. The colt learns 
Ihese things at this early day as easily us it 
would learn anything else, and the lessou is 
never forgotten; so that when the time for 
r.etual harnessing comes, it creates no surprise, 
makes no trouble, and gives rise to no contests. 
Improvements in Draining Tiles. 
BY COL. GEORGE E. WARING, JR. 
In view of the fact that in my article on 
" Tile Draining," published in the Agricultural 
Figs. 1 and 2.— TILE AND COLLAR. 
Annual for 1867, and in ni}' "Draining for 
Profit and Draining for Health," published by 
your house, I have very strenuously insisted up- 
on the necessity for using silt basins in the lay- 
ing of underdrains, I have thought it advisa- 
ble to state explicitly the reasons which have 
led me in my own practice, and in advice to 
others, to dispense almost entirely with their use. 
They were at best a rather imperfect and quite 
3. — TILE AS LAID. 
expensive means for preventing the obstruction 
of drains by accumulations of silt ; but, with 
the draining materials procurable at the time 
when the book and article above alluded to 
were written, they were indispensable. During 
Fig. 4. Fig. 5. 
the last year Ibave used largely the tiles manu- 
factured by Messrs. C. W. Boynton & Co., of 
Woodbridge, N. J., which are made with cer- 
tain modifications and improvements that very 
"■really lessen the necessity for silt basins. In- 
deed, in draining my own farm of 60 acres, I 
have uot made a single 
one of these. The tiles 
referred to are made from 
£■ the tenacious clay of the 
Amboy region, which is so much richer in 
quality and so much more uniform than the 
brick clay ordinarily employed for the purpose, 
that it is found easy to 
make even the smallest 
tiles two feet long, 
which, of itself, is a great 
advantage, inasmuch as 
it reduces by one-half 
the number of joints, 
which must always form 
a greater or les3 obstacle to the smooth flow of 
Hater, while there are still openings enough re- 
maining for the complete admission of soil wa- 
ter. Onlv round tiles are made at this establish- 
Fig. T. 
Fig. 8. — CONNECTION OF LATERAL WITH MAIN. 
meut, the smaller ones being provided with 
well-fitting collars for connecting their ends. 
The tile and collar respectively are shown in 
figs. 1 and 2. The continuous line is laid as 
shown in fig. 3. The curved tiles, such as 
those shown in figs. 4 and 5, bent to various 
degrees, in order to suit the requirements of 
different circumstances, I have found "of great 
assistance, especially in abruptly changing the 
direction of main drains. Figure 6 represents 
an enlarging tile, by which, in increasing the 
size of a drain, as from two to three inches, the 
abrupt rough edge, formed b}' inserting the 
smaller tile into the larger one, may bo avoided. 
This gradual enlargement will effectually pre- 
vent the checking of the flow that is unavoid- 
able in all cases where a confined stream breaks 
abruptly into a larger conduit. The most im- 
portant improvement that Boynton has made, 
and the one which does more than any other to 
obviate the need for silt basins, is the junction 
Fig. 9. or one main with 
another. These junction pieces are made 
complete, as shown in the figure, for all the dif- 
ferent sizes of mains and laterals; and, by their 
use, the water from the lateral is introduced in- 
to the main at an angle of 45°. As it enters 
near the bottom of the main it materially ac- 
celerates the flow in the latter by its force of 
entry, while, with the best joint that it was for- 
merly possible for us to make by the aid of the 
tile pick, there was an interruption of the flow 
and frequently a tendency to deposit silt at the 
junctions. By the use of these junction pieces, 
the points of intersection are made the safest of 
the whole drain, instead of being, as they were 
under the old system, the most insecure. The 
manner in which the collared small lateral is 
connected with the lower part of the larger tile 
of the main drain is shown in fig. 8. When the 
Fig. 10. — VIEW OF OUTLET. 
lateral approaches the main at aright angle, or 
at a very obtuse angle, the curved tile shown in 
fig. 5 should be used, in order that the flow may 
strike in the direction of the oblique junction. 
Messrs. Boynton & Co. have also made an 
earthen-ware grating for covering outlets, which 
is very much cheaper than the wire grating rec- 
bmmanded in my book; and, as the last pipe of 
the drain is glazed or vitrified ware, the outer 
end may project a little beyond the mason work 
without fear that it will be injured by frost. This 
grated outlet is shown in fig. 9. The grating is 
movable, and can be easily detached for cleaning 
when necessary. The appearance of an outlet, 
so arranged in connection with masonry, is 
shown in fig. 10, and it is difficult to conceive 
of any plan more simple or more effective. 
Sowing Clovek Seed. — Test the seed, un- 
less it is known to be good. To do this, take a 
saucer half full of sand, pat it level, sprinkle on 
a known number of seeds, lay a piece of mus- 
lin over them, and put a light layer of sand 
upon it ; keep all moist, and after a few days. 
see how many seeds germinate. Before sowing 
clover, practice taking a pinch for a cast be- 
tween the thumb and two fingers, doing it many 
times, until the same quantity is taken each 
time. The chief advantage of sowing upon a 
light fall of snow is, that the evenness and regu- 
larity of the casts may be seen. To sow well 
requires practice. The field should lie paced, 1 
the amount of seed estimated, then measured 
out, and divided, for a beginner, into as many 
equal parcels as be will need to test Cue accura- 
cy of his sowing. It is best for a very raw hand 
to sow half the entire lot of seed, making it 
cover the whole field, and then, going at right 
angles, to sow the other half. A good way is, 
to wait until the seed starts and shows spots 
which have too little and then scatter on some 
additional seed, so as to remedy the defect. 
The Award of Prizes at Fairs. 
Some very absurd awards, recently made in 
the name of one of the prominent poultry so- 
cieties of the countty, have caused the general 
subject of awards at fairs to be discussed by 
persons especially interested in agricultural and 
kindred societies. Two questions will at once 
set in a clear light the delicacy of this subject, 
viz : 1st. What shall the officers of a society- 
do when their judges make and ask them to 
promulgate unjust and absurd awards? 2d. 
What kind of judges and judgments will be ob- 
tained if the judges know that their reports 
of awards are subject to be overruled by 
the executive committee of the society? Men 
who are placed upon committees of award 
ought to know more than the executive com- 
mittee of the society about their own special- 
ties, and if any society could secure the services 
of such men, we are sure, that while they would 
not submit to have their awards revised by any- 
body, they would be happy to conform to the 
most stringent rules for the guidance of commit- 
tees, which might be laid down by the society. 
Judges who would tamely submit to a revision 
of their work are just the men not wanted as 
judges. True, an ignoramus might be just as 
sensitive in regard to his judgment as a wise 
man; but, nevertheless, it is most important t lint 
all judges should feel that their decisions, if 
made within the just rules of the society, are ir- 
revocable. Without this, there can be no gen- 
erally good decisions secured. The question 
then arises — What rules ought the society to lay 
down, and how instruct its judges? It is al- 
most universal, that certain rules upon points of 
honor are considered established by usage ; for 
instance, no man should pass judgment upon 
his own articles, or upon those in wdiich he 
may be considered to have a personal interest, 
as upon those of a son or other friend. Neither 
may a person accept a position where Ids bias 
in favor of some unimportant peculiarity will 
interfere with his fair judgment. The society 
should, however, cause to be printed and placed 
in the hand of committees of judges, a set of 
rules, somewhat like the following: 
Awards will be made impartially, having 
reference solely to the excellence of the articles 
under consideration, and entirely without refer- 
ence to the number of prizes the exhibitor may 
take, or to any remuneration of deserving ex- 
hibitors, even though every prize be taken by 
one person. — Any attempt of an exhibitor to 
deceive, in regard to anything, and especially 
in reference to ownership, breeding, age, or 
characteristics of any of his live-stock, shall 
disqualify both the exhibitor and all his stock. 
