1847 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Ill 
MODE OF UNDER-DRAINING. 
An obstacle to the practice of under draining in this 
country, is the difficulty or expense of obtaining tiles 
for forming the drains; many neighborhoods, however, 
ever, abound with a material which will answer nearly 
as well—-that is, small stones. We have seen them 
used in a few instances, and the drains thus formed 
have operated well for a long time. We presume that 
drainage would be more frequently resorted to, if it were 
generally known that the stones, which in many sec¬ 
tions occupy the soil to the actual hindrance of cultiva¬ 
tion, could be used with good advantage in filling the 
drains. From a series of articles which have been pub¬ 
lished in the Farmers Magazine , on the “ Agriculture 
of Aberdeenshire,” it appears that stones for filling 
drains are “ almost exclusively ” used in that country. 
There appear to be several modes of forming drains, 
and of putting the stones into them. “ Many farmers,” 
it is said, agreeably to the Deanston plan, break the 
stones to a small size, like those used in repairing the 
public roads; and put them promiscuously in to a cer¬ 
tain depth. Several others, however, are of opinion 
that each drain should be furnished with an c eye/ or 
open conduit in the bottom. 
“ The stones employed in draining are procured from 
two sources, the surface of the ground and the quarry. 
The small round stones annually gathered off the grass- 
fields, as well as those brought to the surface by the 
action of the tillage implements, are carted into heaps 
in convenient situations, with the intention of being sub¬ 
sequently employed (if necessary,) in draining. The 
fields in many parts of the country contain a great 
number of such stones, and they are considered to be 
peculiarly well adapted for draining; they also con¬ 
stitute an economical material, since it is necessray or 
proper at all events, to collect and remove them off the 
ground; and they require little preparation before being 
put into the drains. 
“ A kind of drain which was formerly much em¬ 
ployed, and is still frequently constructed in particular 
places, is made in the following manner: A trench 
of about twenty-four inches in width at the top, 
from sixteen to eighteen inches at the bottom, and of 
such depth as the nature and texture of the subsoil, and 
other circumstances may render necessary in order to 
obtain a secure foundation on which the stones may 
firmly rest, is cut through the field to be drained in such 
a direction as is considered best calculated for carrying 
off the water. After the bottom of the d^ain has 
• been made quite even, and all loose soil cleared out, 
two rows of medium-sized stones, set obliquely, and 
leaning to each other at the top, like the roofing of a 
house, are carefully laid for the passage of the water. 
If the drain be narrow, and the stones employed are of 
tolerable size, the whole of the water passes through 
between these two rows; but if the stones be small, and 
a large flow' of water is expected, there are two and 
sometimes three rows of these couples, with a flat stone 
between every two row's, which, together, will void a 
considerable stream. A quantity of small stones col¬ 
lected off the fields is then thrown-, promiscuously above 
these, until the top of the drain is within sixteen or 
eighteen inches of the surface of the gronnd. The 
stones being rendered uniform on the top, are covered 
either with heath or turf cut from the adjacent land, if the 
field is in grass; after which a sufficient quantity of the 
earth thrown out in excavating the drain, is returned, 
and the rest scattered over the ground. This descrip- 
, tion of drain is sometimes employed as a 1 leader 3 for 
receiving and conveying away water from small drains ; 
and by usinj^pretty large stones for couples, a copious 
stream will be voided by a drain so constructed. It is 
also well adapted for conducting water from springs, is 
easily formed, and will continue in efficient operation for 
an indefinite period, provided proper care is taken in its 
construction.” 
The advantage of using stones of so small a size as is 
mentioned, we do not readily discover. It is stated that 
they are in some instances broken down to a size that 
will pass through a ring two and a half inches in diame¬ 
ter. The practice, however, of filling drains entirely 
with such small stones, is n6t considered proper in a^ 
cases. A great proportion of the land in Aberdeen¬ 
shire which stands most in need of draining, is said to 
abound in ferruginous matter or iron ore. In many 
places an indurated stratum, known ’by the name of 
“ moorland pan” has been formed between the soil and 
subsoil. The writer observes, that—“ wherever the 
oxide or peroxide of iron exists in any considerable 
quantity in the soil, it is considered injudicious by the 
majority of Aberdeenshire farmers to drain with broken 
stones put in after the Deanston fashion, though they 
are almost unanimously of the opinion that this is the 
best method that can be adopted in the draining of land 
containing only a due proportion of iron.” The objec¬ 
tion to filling entirely with small stones in such soils 
as above described, arises from the fact that the ferrugi¬ 
nous matter in making its way through the stones, 
leaves, and ochery deposit, which in time readers the 
drains useless by obstructing the passage of the water 
“ In several instances,” it is said, “drains filled with 
broken stones have had to be re-opened in consequence 
of becoming choaked up. when the deposit alluded to 
was discovered, and at once accounted for the progress 
having been impeded.” It is therefore concluded . that 
the only safe mode of draining with stones such land as 
described, is toffurmsh each drain with a well formed 
- eye,’ which affords a channel for the free passage of the 
water. 
The mode of forming the “eye,” is to make a low 
wall on each side of the bottom of the ditch, which is 
covered by flat stones. The height of the eye is nine 
inches, and the width commonly about seven inches. If 
the bottom of the ditch is soft, it is paved with round 
stones previous to laying the sides; and in fact it ap¬ 
pears to be considered advisable to pave the bottom of 
all main drains, as there is a liability of the water af¬ 
fecting the foundation, and endangering the safety of 
the drains. But it should be remembered, that it is 
only in the ferruginous soils above described, that eyes 
are deemed neeessaiy; as in all other situations the 
mere filling with stones is believed to be equally if not 
more efficacious and durable than those formed in any 
other way. 
Yield of Wheat from a Single Head. —Mr. 
Colman mentions that Mr. Jonas, of Cambridgeshire. 
England, in 1838, dibbled in 50 kernels, the produce of 
one ear, 30 of which only grew. The product was 14f 
ounces. This being sown in 1839 produced 1,1 bush¬ 
els; which was sown in 1840, and produced 45 bush¬ 
els, and this in 1841 produced 537 bushels. He also 
mentions a case of remarkable increase from eighteen 
ears in four years. The first produce of these ears 
produced 7| bushels, the second 108-§ bushels, and tho 
the third 1868 bushels. 
