356 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
The Manufacture of Drain Tiles. 
The demand for tiles for under-draining has 
increased every year since tlie early experi¬ 
ments in “ burying crockery ” Avere tried in this 
country—about 18 or 20 years ago—and it 
ought still to increase until every neighborhood 
is easily and cheaply supplied. The expense of 
starting a tile Avorks is not great, and there 
is no mystery or secret about it. Tile mak¬ 
ers, as might be expected, are not very com¬ 
municative, under the mistaken notion that 
an increase in tile manufacture Avould hurt 
their trade. The conlrary Avill be true. Were 
there ten times as many made and used, the 
steady demand, and the activity of their trade 
Avould more than compensate for a someAvhat 
decreased price. Mr. J. W. Penfield, of Wil- 
loughbj^ Ohio, has, at our rerpiest, prepared 
Avith considerable minuteness a description of 
his tile AA'orks, and of his processes. The sub¬ 
Fig. 2— GROUND PLAN OF KILN. 
ject is too extensive for a single article, and this 
one Avill be foiloAved by another. Mr. P. Avrites: 
“ Olay for Tiles. —Although tiles can be made 
of inferior clay, or such clay as many brick- 
makers use, yet it is very desirable to have the 
kmd best adapted to the business. Such clay is 
knoAvn by the smooth, clastic manner Avith 
Avhich it moulds, and the rapidity AAUth Avhich it 
can be dried Avithout cracking. It is very sel¬ 
dom that clay is used for tiles that Avould 
be improved by the use of sand. Too much 
sand in clay makes it brittle, causes the tiles to 
run rough, and increases the dilBculty of mak¬ 
ing large ones. The purer clay is, the better; 
much coarse sand, or vegetable matter, is al- 
Avays olijectionable; black muck or loam is 
sure to make trouble in drying, as it causes the 
tiles to shriidc too much and to crack. The roots 
of grass and other plants are sometimes trouble¬ 
some. Some clays arc hard to soak, being fdled 
-with dry lump.s, and for this, exposure to frost 
and Avet through the Avinter, is a cure. This pro¬ 
motes also the decay of the roots. Clay a little 
inclined to be sandy, should nev'er be dug to 
freeze. pineness, toughness, elasticity and 
smoothness, are the most essential qualities of 
good clay, and such clay may generally be 
found in all localities where there is much Avet 
land. It is moisture that makes the particles of 
clay adhere; the amount rccpiired for different 
kinds of clay can only be determined by expe¬ 
rience in using. When taken from moist beds 
in a rainy season, it frequently requires no addi¬ 
tional Avater. Blue clay that has much sand in 
it should be Avorked comparatively dry, as in 
grinding it becomes softer; Avhile as to close, 
fine, yelloAV clay, the more it is AVorked the dry¬ 
er it gets. It improves any clay that needs 
moisture to soak tivelve hours before moulding, 
and if dry when dug, this is positively necessary. 
A little e.xperience in soaking cla}^ Avill enable 
any one to do it correctlj'-; it is better to get it too 
soft at first, than too dry. Stony clay can not 
be used successfully, as stones interfere Avdth 
moulding or fill the screen rapidly. Stones 
may be crushed Avith rollers, but the same ex¬ 
pense Avould make tiles of good cla}^ Occasion¬ 
al stones ’I 2 an inch in diameter or less, Avill 
make but little trouble; larger ones will. When 
three or four such can be found in a sliovelfull 
of clay, larger ones Avill be found. Many at¬ 
tempts have been made to use stony clay for 
tiles, but in every instance I knoAV of, the cost 
exceeds that of clean clay. A little time spent 
in looking for good clay will be Avell rewarded 
in almost any toAvnship. 
Construction of Sheds. —It is economy to work 
under cover. Where a machine is run by horse- 
poAi'cr, a shed may be constructed as folloAvs: 
Make it with ten sides, 40 feet in diameter, set¬ 
ting posts in the ground, 12 feet apart, sawed 
off, G feet high: spike on joists 2x8 edgewise 
against the outsides of the posts at top, and a 
main rafter running from each post to the cen¬ 
ter of shed at the proper pitch. This rafter 
should be 22 feet long, 3 x 3 at top end, 3 x 6 at 
the lower end. Short rafters can be cut in be¬ 
tween these to suit the kind of roofing used. 
Either shingles or boards may be used. Strips 
of 2-iuch band iron, 1 foot long, should be 
spiked on the outside of the girt-plates, over the 
joints to prevent spreading. The drying shed 
may be 14feet Avide, 180 long, posts 6 feet high 
set in the ground, 4x4 scantling for plates, 
2x4 for rafters. Fig. 1 shoAVS the ground plan 
of the shed, giving the location of the tile ma¬ 
chine, clay pit, horse track, etc., and from this 
the drying shed Avith two rail tracks in it going 
to the kiln. There is a switch at each end of the 
drying shed, but only one is shown for lack of 
space. Many cars are used, on which the green 
tiles are laid, and remain until dry enough to go 
into the kiln,each car holding 1000 2-iuch tiles. 
Construction of Kiln. —The size of kiln, a 
partial plan of Avhich is here shown (fig. 2), is 
14x16 inside; the AA’alls are 16 inches thick 
in addition, and the firing flues project, forming 
a platform at each end. Four flues 20 inches 
wide, run the long Avay of the kiln; benches or 
spaces between the flues are 26 inches, and the 
side benches 4 inches Avide. The flues for 
firing should be 4 feet long, 12 or 13 inches 
Avide, extending out from the kiln. The struc¬ 
ture as shoAvn in fig. 2, should be built one foot 
high, and then it is ready for turning the arches. 
The arches, shown in fig. 3, are turned over the 
flues, as indicated by the dotted lines in fig. 2. 
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Fig. 4.— FLOOR OF KILN. 
The shape of the arch should be higher than 
wide, or more than half a circle, if not they are 
apt to flatten and fall in. If too high, they will 
fall in at the sides. Each course of arches is built 
independent of the other, except being tied to¬ 
gether on the center of each bench, Avhich makes 
a partition between the flues from the bench up 
to the kiln-floor. This is sboAvn at G, G, fig. 4. 
The arches are as Avide as the length of one brick 
(8 inches), and the space betAveen, the width of a 
brick (4 inches). Fig. 4 shoAVS a portion of the 
floor finished, Avhich is done by laying bricks 
(2) flatAvise across the spaces betAvecu the arch¬ 
es, and a course (1) lengtliAvise, on the center of 
the arches. The bricks should be closer over the 
fire than over the benches, and more space should 
be alloAved at the corners and around the sides 
than elseAvhere, this is important for the pur¬ 
pose of draAving the heat to the corners and 
sides. It is better to use fire-brick for the floor, 
and to turn the arches, as they are more 
permanent, and keep the floor smooth and even. 
The openings in the floor should vary from 1 j 
to li or 2 inches betAveen the bricks, and 3 
inches along the sides of the kiln. The bight 
of the kiln should be governed by the length 
the tiles are cut, and the number of courses to 
be set. Eight courses of tiles, cut ISi- inches 
long, wmuld make it necessary to have the kiln 
ten feet high above the floor. In fig. 4, dotted 
lines running from A to B, indicate the course 
of the arches under the floor. The tops of the 
arches being seen at F. The course of the flues 
under the arches is shoAvn by the dotted lines at 
right angles to the arches, running fromZ> toK, 
while the dotted lines G io B shoAV Avhere the 
firing flues go through the Avail; 1, 1, 1, are 
bricks lying upon the arches, and 2, 2, 2, bricks 
crossing from arch to arch, and forming the 
spaces Bp through which the fire comes,” 
