Mole-draining and the Renovation of Old Pipe Drains. 79 
number of these Government drains on heavy clay land, both 
mains and minors, and have found them generally to be as 
clear and clean as the day they were put in, but showing very 
little signs of water running in them. It is evident that the 
method of rodding out drains as mentioned above is of no 
use, for as a rule the pipes are clear. Yet another cause is 
that owing to the old high ridges having been ploughed 
down and subsequently reformed and straightened after the 
drains were put in, the drains are buried too deep under 
the ridges. 
On arable lands in both these cases, a good deal may in 
some instances be done when the field is being steam-cultivated 
by putting a few extra long tines in the cultivator with a view 
of piercing the pan. These tines should penetrate the soil at 
least 6 in., or better still 9 in., below the ordinary ones, and 
should be formed like a plough coulter. There will then be no 
danger of their bringing up the subsoil, and the piercing of the 
pan will often improve the drainage considerably. 
In very many instances, however, nothing short of re- 
draining the field will be of any service, and this has become 
a very important question. Landlords are often very unwilling 
to incur the expense of pipe draining, on the grounds that 
they cannot get any return on their money. Owing to the rise 
in wages and to the scarcity of men capable of doing the work 
properly and also to the increased cost of pipes due . to the 
closing of local brickyards, the cost of pipe drainage has gone 
up considerably. The cost now per acre will in many parts of 
England be found to be nearly 11. for drains 7 yards apart 
2 ft. 3 in. deep. The rent of the average heavy land I have in 
my mind is from 10s. to 18s. per acre. The lowest percentage 
that can safely be placed on capital expenditure on pipe drain- 
ing would be to 6 per cent, after all the fees and costs of 
inspection have been paid on money borrowed from a society 
formed under the Lands Improvement Acts. per cent, on 
71. is rather more than 7s. 6d. per acre. I have suggested 
to many tenants who complain of waterlogged land that 
the landlord would drain the land if they paid 7s. 6d. an 
acre more rent but it is needless to say that they refused to do 
so because they could not see their way to afford an increase of 
50 per cent, to 60 per cent, in their rent. In other words they 
considered on that class of land the yearly benefit derived was 
not commensurate with the increased rent, and it also follows 
that on the occasion of a sale the landlord would certainly not 
receive back the money spent on pipe draining. Consequently, 
therefore, on these waterlogged lands some method other than 
pipe draining must be adopted to get rid of the water, and the 
solution is, I believe, to be found in mole-draining. 
