1903 . 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
337 
A STUDY OF DRAIN TILE. 
On page 124 of The R. N.-Y. the follow¬ 
ing questions were asked : 
“I am about to order a car of drain tile 
and would like the experience of some of 
your readers. One firm sends me a sample 
of an unglazed soft tile, claiming that water 
will soak through it, thereby increasing its 
efficiency over the hard-burned tile through 
which water cannot soak. Another firm 
sends me a sample of hard-burned salt- 
glazed tile, claiming that the unglazed tile 
will soon go to pieces, while the glazed 
will last indefinitely. Both these tile are 
about 13 inches long, and would have the 
same capacity at the joints. Still another 
firm sends sample of tile 18 inches long 
with square holes, which the round tile men 
say will not flush out as readily and will 
become clogged. Tile once laid ought to be 
permanent, and practical experience might 
be of value to other readers who are con¬ 
templating tile draining.” 
In reply to this a large number of an¬ 
swers were received. They were forwarded 
to the questioner, who has made the fol¬ 
lowing synopsis of them : 
In looking over the 28 answers to my 
question on tile, I find them mostly 
from men of extensive experience from 
Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey, 
New York, Connecticut, Tennessee, Illi¬ 
nois, Pennsylvania and Canada, show¬ 
ing how widely The R. N.-Y. is ap¬ 
preciated to obtain information from so 
many sections of the country. Perhaps 
it is no wonder that the experience of 
these men with tile made of different 
kinds of clay under different conditions 
should vary somewhat, but I find only 
about 14 per cent make any claim that 
water will percolate through a tile and, 
if they are right, the tile they have used 
must surely be softer than the tile of 
which I have a sample. About 28 per 
cent laugh at the idea of water ever en¬ 
tering through tile only at the points, 
and offer as proofs experiments of plug¬ 
ging one end of tile and filling with 
water. About 14 per cent say the cost 
would be the only difference, while the 
general opinion of about 64 per cent is 
that a tile burned hard to a cherry red 
is preferable, while some say take the 
glazed tile by all means. All admit that 
a tile which is porous enough to ab¬ 
sorb water should never be put within 
reach of frost, as the freezing and thaw¬ 
ing will disintegrate and ruin the tile, 
which stands to reason, and some give 
incidents where drains of soft tile were 
ruined by frost. Almost all prefer the 
round-holed tile, as it will flush out more 
readily, and as the quantity of water 
diminishes it concentrates into a nar¬ 
rower line of flow in the bottom of the 
tile, thus keeping tile clean. Almost all 
prefer a round outside, claiming that 
tile may be turned over to make a bet¬ 
ter joint. Also round tile have more re- 
sistence against crushing. Many claim 
the breakage in shipping and handling 
will be far less in hard-burned tile, and 
glazed still less. Summing up the points 
I would choose at the same price a 
glazed tile to a simply hard-burned, and 
would choose the hard-burned to the 
soft in almost all cases, though I think 
possibly a good quality of soft-burned 
tile placed below frost line would last 
indefinitely. As a test for tile one that 
rings when struck shows a good quality, 
and that it is not cracked. Always de¬ 
mand a straight tile with smooth-cut 
ends. Most prefer a tile of 12 or 13 
inches long to one of any greater 
length, as it gives, more joints for water 
to enter. Three-inch tile is considered 
by most as . the smallest advisable, and 
when entering into mains one should 
figure on having main large enough to 
carry the water at full capacity from all 
the laterals. Many suggestions are 
offered, some of which are very contra¬ 
dictory, which in some cases may arise 
from varying conditions of soil and 
grade. Some good points which are 
offered are as follows, which also may 
mfter in value to the reader as his con¬ 
ditions may differ: 
1. Always put below frost, but if 
necessary to place within reach of frost 
JVj e a hard-burned or preferably a glazed 
i i j Ure . t0 h ave bottom of ditch 
level and solid, leaving no soft place 
tor tile to settle, or stone to rock it 
out of place. A rise of onlv three inches 
when using three-inch tile shuts off 
cleaning quality of drain. 
T All outlets to mains should be such 
lut i bey may be kept clean and made 
• glazed sewer pipe or iron pipe laid 
upon stone or cement, and arranged so 
that no vermin can enter. One writer 
states that in-Illinois a special tile with 
trap is manufactured for that purpose. 
However, I should fear that in a dry 
season such trap would become useless. 
Another suggests covering end with 
screen or inserting in end a spiral made 
of No. 10 wire, a suggestion which 
brings to mind some old bed springs. 
4. If outlet enters creek it should be 
above water line when creek is not flow¬ 
ing. 
5. Where laterals enter mains there 
should be a light drop from lateral to 
main. 
6. Three to four feet deep is the idea 
most generally suggested, and area 
drained variously estimated from 15 feet 
to 1 y 2 rod each side of tile. 
7. At variance some suggest covering 
tile with clay, tamping down that water 
cannot enter at top of joints, thus 
carrying in sediment, while another says 
cover with top earth, as clay is apt to 
cement the joints and prevent water 
from entering for some time. 
8. Always have top of joint fit closely. 
9. One suggests cause of damage from 
cold to air currents entering mouth of 
drains and working out through the soil 
through the joints, which I should think 
of importance in benefiting the land, but 
which of course would frost soft tile. 
10. The practice of one man, which 1 
should consider of worth where sub¬ 
soil is clay, is to lay small stone along 
each side of tile, carefully placing to a 
little above level of tile, then laying 
larger stone across and filling with smalj 
stone to just below plow line—a good 
method for ridding land of stone but 
not approved by others where subsoil is 
of loose character, as water might run 
alongside of tile and dislocate them in 
time. Possibly a method of fitting in 
with stone on top of tile where they had 
been properly covered might be prac¬ 
tical. 
11. One suggests a method of grading 
which I think of worth. He drives 
stakes along one side of ditch 16 feet 
apart, and in line, and then drives or 
cuts tops so they are in line of grade, 
preferably at a length of four feet" from 
bottom of ditch, and then stretches a 
line tight en top of these stakes. Then 
man making grade carries a gauge made 
like an inverted L, with vertical four 
feet long and the horizontal long 
enough to reach over the line when 
standard is held vertical. He does not 
state how he obtains the grade of stakes. 
I have used in leveling to find my in¬ 
tended grade a target made out of a 
light board three inches wide and 14 
feet long, spaced in foot lengths which 
are painted alternately white and black, 
and a small cross piece with cloth at¬ 
tached which may be raised and lowered, 
and an American level and grade finder, 
which has a sight through the bottom 
of level, which level I placed on a 
tripod and leveling at target obtained 
grade by subtracting height of bottom 
of. level from ground, from leveling 
point on target, then measuring distance 
calculate fall to rod. I had planned to 
make a leveling board as follows: Two 
straight-edged boards 1x4 inches and 16 
feet long hinged at one end and made 
to fasten with clamp or set screw at 
other end at any distance apart, and on 
top board to fasten a level thus: F— 
level, G—hinge, D-E—upright board 
bolted to B, C—clamp or set screw 
for holding A and B at any required 
distance apart. When for instance A 
and B are one inch apart, it will indicate 
one inch grade to 16 feet. I intended to 
use this in bottom of ditch, beginning 
at lower end and working up, but think 
that if stakes and line are practical it 
might be used in same way to grade top 
of stakes before stretching line; laying 
it on top of one stake to next and so 
on up. I expect to plow as deeply as 
possible with common plow, and then 
use a plow which 1 purchased at State 
Fair and which will plow, as claimed, 
four feet deep, followed of course by 
men with shovels to clean out. After 
this operation stakes and line method 
might possibly be useful. I think now I 
shall order a car of round-holed, 
hexagon-sided, hard-burned, glazed, red 
tile 12 inches long and which weigh four 
pounds apiece for three inch, and 
which cost laid down at my station from 
Ohio in car lots $14.30. a. h. Phillips. 
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