24 
AMERICAN AGRICTTLTtrRXS'T. 
DiiAIOTNG.-NO. 10. 
METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING DRAINS.—TILE DRAINS. 
Although much has been written in reference 
to tile-draining, comparatively few have seen 
specimens of drain-tiles. They are made of 
common brick-clay, and are burned in kilns 
just like brick. There are two general forms, the 
pipe-tile and the horse-shoe tile. A pipe-tile is 
simply a long round brick, with a hollow 
through it lengthwise. Ttiey arc made from 
12 to 15 inches long, and from 2 to 8 or more 
inches in diameter; the centre hole or tube 
through them is from 1 to 2 inches less in 
diameter than the tile itself, which makes the 
outer rim or cylinder from half an inch to an 
inch in thickness. The larger the pipe, the 
thicker the rim is made, in order to give it 
greater strength. Sometimes these pipes are a 
simple round tube, but more frequently the 
hollow is flattened in upon the sides, so that 
the end of the tube resembles the letter 0. 
In order to keep these tubes in a firm position 
wLon : —aiJ or the uram, a pro¬ 
jecting lip or flange is generally made along 
each side of the lower part of the tile, which 
gives a flat surface for them to stand upon. 
One of these pipe-tiles thus made is seen in 
figure 14. 
After the drain is dug out, these pipe-tile are 
placed end to end along the bottom, so as to 
make a continuous tube through the whole 
length. As they are laid down, they should be 
secured firmly in their position by little stones 
wedged in upon their sides; and they should 
also rest upon a firm bottom, so that the open¬ 
ings of the successive pipes always meet exact¬ 
ly together. We strongly recommend to put 
in a narrow board through the whole length of 
the drain, and to place the tiles upon this. This 
board will cost very little, and with proper 
wedging upon the sides, the tile will not be 
moved out of place either in a hard or soft soil. 
We recommend putting in this narrow board 
even in the hardest soil; for the occurrence of 
any soft spot in the soil, however small, may 
cause a single tile to settle a little at one end, 
and thus close up the perfect continuance of 
the tube, and spoil the drain. Many recom¬ 
mend using clay collars over the joints, where 
the ends of the tiles meet. This will prevent 
their being displaced sidewise, but will not 
keep them from settling unequally, which is 
a more frequent cause of failure. Laying in 
boards will also be found much cheaper than 
using collars, lor any rough, knotty boards or 
irlaln. ola-l >a cvnoir vi j wo Lilj cu tillUU US 
upper surface for the tile to rest upon is re¬ 
quired. With these boards, less care will be 
required in cleaning out the bottom of the 
drain, since the boards can be laid in and soon 
levelled down by striking them with a heavy 
block. Long before these boards can decay, 
the tile will have become so thoroughly imbed¬ 
ded in the surrounding soil, that there will be 
little danger of future displacement. Except in 
* For part of the cut3 In these articles, we are indebted 
to Stephens’ Book of the Farm, republished by C. M. Saxton, 
of this city. 
very soft, spongy soils, where the permanent 
use of thick boards will be needed, the thinner 
the boards, the better, since their decay would 
produce less sinking of the tiles, if any takes 
place; their chief object being to keep the tiles 
in position untill the drains are filled and tho¬ 
roughly settled. 
When these tubes are thus arranged and 
firmly wedged in upon the bottom, the next 
process is to refill the drains. If in digging 
any gravelly materials have been thrown out, 
these should be put directly upon the tile, and 
the rest filled up with the soil. It is always 
desirable to have as thick a bed of porous 
materials as possible directly upon and over 
the tiles. Some recommend to cover them 
first with grass, turf, straw, &c. These an¬ 
swer a very good temporary purpose, but it 
is doubtful whether the ultimato clooaj- of these 
may not clog up the tiles. A covering of gravel 
or tine stone upon and round the tile is far 
preferable. The soil may be thrown back into 
the drain with a shovel, or more economically 
still by a plow, with a double tree of 9 or 10 feet, 
so that it may be drawn by two horses, one 
walking upon either side of the drain. The 
earth should be rounded up a little over the 
drain, to allow for settling. A section of the 
drain thus completed is represented by fig. 15, 
though in this figure the tile is not of the round 
form. 
Fig. 13. 
A different form of tile has heretofore been 
most used, though we think the pipe-tile is at 
present most in favor, and will probably be 
generally adopted. We refer to the horse-shoe 
tile, so called from the resemblance of its section 
to the common horse-shoe. The form of this 
tile is shown by fig. 16. This, as will be seen, 
Fig. 16. 
is similar to a pipe-tile with the under part re¬ 
moved so as to leave one side open. These are 
made of clay and burned like the pipe-tile, and 
are placed in the drain end to end in the same 
manner. The lower edges rest upon the soil, 
or upon a board, or more frequently upon a thin 
nauouic-uic ui may. m ng. IT is shown the 
Fig. 17. 
arrangement of the horse-shoe tiles upon sole- 
tiles, placed so as to break joints with each 
other. The wedging of the tiles, and the sub¬ 
sequent filling up of the drain, are the same as 
for the pipe-tile. Tho end of the drain is shown 
in fig. 18. 
When the bottom of the drain is a strong 
hard-pan, many farmers dispense with the sole- 
tile, and place the horse-shoe tile directly upon 
the ground. We think this always unadvisa- 
ble, for, however hard the soil, there is danger 
that the long-continued action of the water, 
Fig. 18. 
especially when in motion, will soften and wear 
away the hardest bottom, and often undermine 
the edges of the tile. If sole-tile are not used, 
we would in all cases recommend putting in a 
board of- considerable thickness. These have 
been taken up in a sound state after being 
buried 15 years. But even these will ultimately 
decay, even when buried deep in the earth ; and 
drains should not be built to last 15 or 50 years, 
but to endure for centuries. On this account 
we deem it advisable to use sole-tiles in all cases 
where horse-shoe tiles are preferred to pipe-tiles. 
In some localities, slate or thin flat stones are 
abundant, and these may be used instead of flat 
tile for the bottom. 
Mr. Johnston, of Geneva, N. Y., the pioneer 
and most extensive drainer in this country, uses 
horse-shoe tiles chiefly. He lays them down 
without collars or soles, unless when the ground 
is very soft and a hard-pan bottom is not found, 
in which case he puts boards under the tile. 
We have just received a letter from him in 
answer to our inquiries respecting his practice, 
from which we take the liberty to subjoin an 
extract relating to two or three points treated 
of above: 
I put nothing over the tile but earth, which 
is thrown in with the plow. A double tree 
nine and a half feet long is required, to allow 
one horse to walk comfortably on each side of 
the drain. If there are many’, stones in the earth 
thrown out, I have a little of this first thrown 
in with a shovel, lest in plowing in the earth 
the stones may break the tile. I know that 
many theoretical farmers lay much stress upon 
the necessity of covering the joints with turf or 
something else, but I consider this entirely 
needless. 
There is no necessity for putting any thing 
under the tiles, if the bottom is hard, or even if 
it is solid clay. In quicksands, boards or sole- 
tiles are needed, but in no other place have I 
found them necessary ; and I have had no stop¬ 
pages, excepting in some main drains where the 
flow of water was very great. 
I would not recommend collars, unless where 
there WHS a vpvjt r»rm.cidom.l>lo How of water j 
all these extras increase the costand are useless; 
only dig enough drains, lay in the tiles and 
cover them with earth, and the land will be 
dry. .... 
I have laid 2,000 rods or more (more than 6 
miles!) since last March. 
Mr. Johnston is pretty good authority, as we 
believe he has put down from 35 to 40 miles of 
tile-drains; however, we must differ from him 
a little in regard to the necessity of having soles 
under horse-shoe tiles, if these are used; 
especially if the drains are to endure for centu¬ 
ries. Mr. J. is peculiarly favored in having a 
good bottom for his horse-shoe tiles to rest upon. 
