JULY 2$ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
47J 
Fall or late Spring, and an extremely cold 
Winter may suspend work for two or three 
mouths entirely. 
The general plan that I have found on the 
whole best is this: Suppose there is to be a main 
drain from M to O (Fig (398) the outlet being 
where the arrows indicate the direction of the 
fall, with laterals entering at 1 , 2 , 8 , etc. Iu 
reasonably good weather in the Fall 1 dig the 
main trench. O. M.. and about a rod of each 
lateral, lay the tiles in the main, form all the 
junctions at 1 , 2 , ", etc, and lay the tiles up 
nearly to a, b. c, etc, stop the end of the main 
and of each lateral tightly with a flat stone, 
and fill in all the dirt into the maiu form 1 . to 
M. and into the laterals to a , b, c, etc, and 
round it up, make little dams at a, b, c, etc. 
and cut a shallow trench from a, to h, so that 
all the water that comes down the various 
laterals from at>ove a, b, c, etc. may flow off 
ou the surface and not enter the drains thus 
partially laid, aud injure them. Now the 
work may be continued during mild weather 
all Winter long whenever the thermometer 
is not much below the freezing point. The 
snow, i. there is any, will lodge in the furrows 
and prevent hard freezing. The best plan is to 
continue the work from h, first, rather than 
from any of the lower laterals. If the lower 
drains are finished first, the water from the 
undug drains higher up must flow over these 
finished drains aud is apt to gully down into 
It 
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Outlet Drain With Laterals.—Fig. 398« 
them. Thus the drains h, < 7 . etc., in succes¬ 
sion may be completed as the weather per¬ 
mits and no damage be done to the portion 
laid. During the process of the work a wad 
of straw’ is always kept iu the open upper 
ends of the exposed tiles, to prevent the mud 
from washing in. The work should be kept 
up •“snug” all the time, the tiles being laid 
and the earth filled iu each night as far as the 
digging has progressed, and the last tile be¬ 
ing stopped with a wad of straw or dead 
grass, and the water from the ditch above be¬ 
ing turned off upon the surface. Then if sud- 
deu cold or a heavy rain comes on and sus¬ 
pends the work for a week or a month, no 
damage is done to the drains already laid. 
Mr. Klippart says “‘Tile laying may com¬ 
mence at either end of the drain." Evidently 
not if the work is done in late Autumn or 
Winter. It must. Itegin at the outlet aud pro¬ 
gress towards the higher parts of the field. 
Otherwise it is impossible to secure exit for 
the water from the tiles already laid. He also 
says “ U’here there is little dauger of the 
sides falling in it is decidedly better to have 
the whole drain dng out before a single tile 
is laid, and to have the tile-laying commence 
at the upper end of the drain. Iu this way 
the tiles are kept clear of mud auil there is au 
opportunity to correct any defect in the dig- 
ing or t»"> equalize the fall more perfectly 
than could otherwise be done.” I can 
only say that in actual practice I have 
never found it beet to lay open a long drain 
or system ““ before a single tile is laid.” 
If the weather is dry lumps of earth and 
the fine earth will coutantly crumble and 
rattle into the drain from the top and sides 
and need to be cleaned out again. If the 
weather is w et (he sides will slump off and 
partly fill the ditch, and oveu the bottom will 
Tile Bedded In Groove.— Fig 399. 
soften up so as not to furnish a solid bed for 
the tiles. Iu all cases I have found it best to 
keep the tile-laving up pretty close to the 
digging. As soon as six or eight, rods are 
dug—certainly before night each day—it is 
best with the scoop or groove-cutter to cut a 
true grove iu the bottom to bed the tiles iu, 
aud then lay the tiles aud cover them and 
put a wad of straw in the last tile at the upper 
end to exclude dirt. 
Mr. Klippart says (page 411.) "If the drains 
are wider at the l sit tom than is required for 
the tiles, cave must, be taken in returning the 
earth not to disarrange them or admit loose 
earth iuto them. Some pack earth or clay 
between the t iles aud the sides of the ditch,” 
etc., and elsewhere ho recommends to pack 
small stones by the side of the tiles so as to 
keep them firmly in place. But if the groove 
is cut iu the bottom of the ditch as it should 
be the tiles will be solid aud immovable if cov¬ 
ered with earth with reasonable care. The 
tiles will be bedded in the groove to nearly 
half their diameter, as shown in Figure 399, 
and will not move unless carelessly knocked 
out of place by falling lumps w'edging against 
them in filling. 
FILLING THE DRAINS. 
The first 18 or IS inches above the tiles 
should be carefully filled with clay moist 
enough to pack, ami should be packed or 
tramped solid. The rest of the earth may be 
plowed in with a team, if the ground is dry 
enough, one horse constantly walking in the 
drain, to pack the earth solid. 
The earth should t>e rounded up slightly 
higher than the surface, directly above the 
tiles, for two reasons: First, to allow’ for the 
settling of the earth; and. second, to prevent 
surface water from gathering and working 
holes down into the tiles This, too, is the 
reason for packing the eart h tight above the 
tiles. The water should always enter the 
tiles through the natural pores of the undis- 
turbed soil and subsoil, and mainly from be¬ 
neath , pressed up by hydrostatic pressure. If 
it works channels straight down from above, 
silt and earth will work in and injure or mm 
the drain. There is no question or difference 
of opinion on this point among practical 
ditchers. Hence the following from Mr. 
Klippart’s book is about as bad as it can be: 
" Straw is sometimes put thinly upon the 
tiles before the earth is thrown in, and it is an 
excellent practice. Sometimes brush is laid 
upon the straw so as to fill up the drain in 
part; some benefit is derived from this in 
deep drains in very tenacious day. Others 
lay in the turf next to the tiles, the grassy- 
side do mi ward: this is some trouble, but it 
auswers an excellent purpose.'’ Small stones 
are also mentioned. Now this is all based ou 
two erroneous assumptions: First, that the 
dirt is sure to rattle into the tiles between the 
joints unless straw, turf or stones are placed 
over the cracks; aud, second, that the water 
cant get in unless it comes straight down 
from above through a sort of filter made on 
purpose. First, then, the earthwill not rattle 
in if the joints iu the tiles are at all de¬ 
cent, and the earth is at all damp and prop¬ 
erly packed; second, the water needs no filter 
or sieve of brush, straw or small stones to ad¬ 
mit it to the tiles. It w ill gefcin fast enough, 
aud should well up from beneath. 
Just as I write, comes a paper quoting an 
English review of Professor John Scott’s lit¬ 
tle work on urainmg (English), in which oc¬ 
curs this sentence, which 1 consider exactly 
correct: "While it is generally understood 
that the bulk of the water enters the drain 
pipes at the joints, it may not be so well 
known that the greater portion of it obtains 
access from below. 
No one can have dug a drain to the depth of 
three feet for a few rods iu moist earth with- 
out noticing that soon the bottom begius to 
s tveat or grow damp, and finally wet, with 
the water forced up through the earth by 
hydrostatic pressure, This water is clear as 
crystal, aud is the only kind that should enter 
a drain. But if brush, etc., are filled iu above 
the tile the muddy water will iu time work 
straight down from above, aud clog or choke 
the drain. 
I have dwelt at considerable leugth on the 
possibility aud the best means of draining in 
Winter, late Fall and early Spring, h»*cause 
tlieu farmers have leisure from pressing farm 
work Drains laid then cost little cash except 
for tiles. But if the work must be done “’in 
dry weather,” or " before the Fall rains set 
iu,” or “after the Spring rains are over,” as 
some of our authorities recommend, then the 
farm force must be on regular farm work, 
ami the dramiug must lx' done by expensive 
hired day-labor. Farmers as a rule must re¬ 
duce the actual cash outlay to ttie minimum, 
or they cannot afford to draiu. 
Further matters of detail aud means of di¬ 
minishing expense will be given in auother 
article. 
farm topics. 
WATER GAPS. 
On a large number of farms it is ofteu a 
vexed questiou as to the best plan of fencing 
across small streams that during very heavy 
show era of raui, rise so high as to carry what¬ 
ever fencing may be laid across them. To 
meet this difficulty various plans have been 
adopted; but the majority of them are 
stationary aud catch so much trash that of 
themselves they keep the water back, which 
in a short time buuks so high that at last it 
carries all before it. Those who have bail a 
little experience in this know how much 
trouble a freshet will often cause them. 
I have a plau that so far has worked so 
well that 1 cannot help thinking others may be 
benefited by adopting it. My stream is about 
00 feet across where duriug a freshet the 
w’ater gets so high as to wash away a common 
fence. On each side I built a pier iu the shape 
of a triangle. Fig. 397, the point poiuting up 
stream. These piers should be built of good 
solid logs well fitted together. I might add I 
built auother just like these in the center, 
making three piers. They should be pinned 
together so as to Vie as solid as possible. Build 
them up so that the top will be above high 
water mark. Fill them wnth rock, large and 
small, taking care to pack them so that as 
much weight as possible should be upon the 
logs. Across on the top of them I lay a stout 
heavy pole, long enough to reach from one 
pier to the other. Of course, where the “‘run” 
is only 20 or 30 feet wide, two piers, one on 
each bank, are sufficient Iu the center of 
each of these I hang a post, made by cutting 
a good-sized sapling. Then, having one part 
long enough to reach from the pole to the 
ground, the other need be only- long enough 
to reach over the pole well so as to hang 
securely’; but it should be made so as to swing 
easily. Into these center posts I bored holes 
six inches apart and as high up as 1 wanted 
the fence to be on the outside or down-stream 
side of the post. I cut rails or poles long 
enough to reach from one of the piers to the 
center post. Iu one end of these I bored a hole 
and with number nine wire fastened each pole 
to the pier. I should have said that in the 
holes 1 bored in the center hanging poets, I 
drove good, stout pegs that extouded out eight 
inches. The other ends of the rails or poles 
were laid upon these pins. 
When high water comes the water lifts these 
poles off the pegs and they swing around on 
each side and leave a free, uninterrupted pas¬ 
sage for the water aud all floating trash, 
which being unimpeded, is carried through. 
There being no resistance, the water does uot 
rise as high as it would if there were a solid 
feuee, then only the bight of the water is 
opened, and after a freshet five minutes work 
will out the fence up again. So far I prefer 
this plau to any- I huve ever tried as being the 
safest and surest, a 5 w ell as the most econom¬ 
ical. Below the fence the ground should be 
as clear as possible so as to allow the trash to 
be carried out of reach. n. j. s. 
Shaking Down Apples. 
Seeing iu a late Rural, some cuts of imple¬ 
ments for picking apples,here is a much quicker 
and equally as good a way: Take a sheet made 
from heavy brown sheeting, say 20 feet square. 
Have a small opening in the center. Let four 
meu or strong boys hold it a little from the 
ground, one being at each comer. Put the fifth 
mau iu the tree; let him shake one side of the 
tree at a time. The apples falling ou the sheet 
will roll towards the center aud out upon the 
ground through the small hole. The apples 
gathered by the five meu will look uud keep as 
well as those picked by baud or otherwise, aud 
the work can be done very much faster aud 
easier. h. a. w. 
floriculturf. 
RAYS. 
Ik you waut Winter-blooming plants for 
your window gardens, now is the time to pre¬ 
pare them. The Geraniums that you lift and pot 
iu September will not be likely to do you any 
good till towards Spring; but by ivputting a 
a few now and plunging them out-of-doors 
and cutting them back pretty well, you can 
secure stubby, well-ripened plants whose pots 
are full of roots, and which with a little stimu¬ 
lant iu the way of a top-dressing of earthy- 
rnauure, will blossom well iu early Winter. 
The same may be said of Heliotropes aud Ma- 
heruias. Carnations, Libonias, Bouvardias 
and Stevius way tie let: in the ground till the 
end August or S< pteinlx>r, aud Chrysanthe- 
unims till September or the first of October. 
Secure a few lVtnmas, Browallias and Nier- 
etubergias now. pot them, plunge the pots out- 
of-doors iu coal ashes, and keep the plants 
pretty well pinched in. If you plant out 
Oxalis llorihuiida if will blossom all Summer 
long, but these roots will uot flower well with 
you iu the Winter. You must have a separate 
lot for the Winter and keep them dry now. 
* * 
Keep everything neat and clean iu and 
about the house and garden; allow no w eeds 
to grow ; keep the surface soil of your beds 
aud borders well stirred by means of draw or 
scuttle hoes; cut out the dead branches from 
your trees and shrubs; stake and tie up all 
plants needing support iu that way; cut off 
old flower spikes before they appear unsightly- 
aud decaying leaves aud stems as they begin 
to turn yellow. Do uot let the plauts over¬ 
crowd each other. In the case of shrubs, 
sliorteu back over-reaching shoots and thin 
out w here the youug growths come up too 
thickly so that the remaiuing shoots may be¬ 
come stouter aud better ripeued aud the bushes 
better shaped. In prolonged dry weather 
when you water your plauts, give them a 
thorough soaking in the evening, and next 
morning with a scuffle hoe or rake loosen the 
surface of the soil. Gather seeds as they ripen 
and keep them loosely in paper hags till they 
are dry, then clean them and store them in a 
dry. cool place. If convenient, sow’ seeds of 
perennials as soon as they ripen; indeed, if 
you don’t sow Fraxinella seeds as soon as they 
are ripe, they are not apt to germinate. See 
to it that you have a stock of young plants of 
Foxgloves, Hollyhocks, Sweet Williams, 
Canterbury Bells, Campanulas and the like 
for next year’s garden. If you have not sown 
any, do so at once, else, if delay-ed longer they 
may miss blooming till another year. 
* * 
I have no sympathy with the practice of re¬ 
moving the fences that separate our gardens 
from the street and our lots from one another, 
notw ithstanding the prominence I have seen 
given to it in the fashionable streets of Cin¬ 
cinnati, Cleveland and elsew’here; indeed, here 
it is on Arlington Street beside me. Of 
course only on private residence streets w r ould 
it be practicanle. By it we rob ourselves of 
that privacy’ that renders a suburban home so 
sweet. Our croquet lawn may be as available 
as ever and our flower garden as gay-, but 
when w -6 return home after our daily labors, 
weary and desirous of rest aud seclusion, w-e 
cannot seek it in the front yard as we used to, 
but we must swing our hammock near the 
back shed and the hen-house among the apple 
trees behind the house. But, more aggravating 
still than that, behold my choice Umbrella 
Pine, Retinisporas, and Variegated Arbor- 
vities,that before my fence had gone were hand¬ 
some plants aud feathered to the ground, but 
now they are damaged two feet up. They 
are a restiug place for every dog that passes 
on the street. 
* * 
Apropos of what has been said recently 
about raising grape vines from seed, 1 w ould 
say-, that last Fall. Dr. Englemann of St. Louis, 
sent us some of the wild grapes of Missouri. 
I kept them over the Winter iu paper bags in 
a dry, warm room, and had the seeds cleaned 
in Spring. The vitality of the seeds was not 
impaired by- their being kept in a dry, warm 
room; but i would urge that a cool dry room is 
by far a better place lor keeping seeds iu. i he 
berries were quite dried up. 1 sowed them on 
the seventh oi April in six-inch pots, w hieh 1 
then placed iu a hot-bed in w Inch the heat was 
ou the decline, i placed moss over the soil to 
prevent it from drying up quickly: kept 
sasnes ou the bed aud a shutter over tne 
sashes to act as shade, in tom’ weeks the 
grape vines came up as tuiekJy ns it I had 
sown so many cabbages, and so lor, are doing 
first-rate. They are now six to ten inches hign 
and quite leafy. 
* * 
I have good success with Persian Cyclamens 
aud that with little trouble. Alter the plants 
have done blooming, I keep them moderately 
rnoist till the cud of Mayor first of June, 
when 1 plant them out closely iu a sunny 
place and siuidv soil, burying the " roots ” 
nearly an inch deep. I take uo further care 
of them beyond keeping off weeds till they 
begin to grow, say early iu August, when I 
lilt aud repot them in rich turfy soil, und then 
plunge the pots in a bed of coal ashes in a cold- 
frame. it is not well to let the Cy clamens de¬ 
velop any- leaves before you pot them; do it. 
as sixm as they st&i t to grow. 
* * 
Cease to pinch your Japanese and Chinese 
Chrysanthemums, but if necessary you may 
piueh the Pompoues as late as the end of July. 
Let them have plenty room to grow; stake the 
the shoots outward rather than upward; give 
them lots of water aud occasionally manure 
w ater. and two or three times during the Sum¬ 
mer run the spade down into the gr ound near 
them, so as to cutoff wandering roots and in¬ 
duce a matted mass; y-ou can lift them iu the 
Fall all the better for it. 
* * 
The Corn Marigold (Chrysanthemum sege- 
tum) has been introduced to us this year as a 
novelty among flower seeds. Now-, this Mari¬ 
gold has showy yellow blossoms, that look 
very blight when grown iu masses, but as 
individual flowers or plants they have a coarse, 
weedy appeurouce. Like the White Weed, it 
is one oi the vilest weeds we can introduce to 
the country: it is a curse to the cereal fields of 
Europe, and those of you who cherish it in 
your gardens to-day, may endeavor in vain to 
erase it from your fields in the time to come. 
Iu charity I have waited till the florists’ 
novelty should grow aud flower, aud here it is 
rank and copious, mean aud miserable. 
* * 
Deutzia parviflora is an ill-uamed shrub, be¬ 
cause although its individual flowers are 
smaller than are those of D. gracilis or cre- 
uata, they are borue in bunches after the 
