Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-09-01
From the New York Tribune
Rand Draninags-TIlsst that Can be Made ON
The Farm.


Last Autumn there was exhibited at the
New-York State Agricultural Fair spee-
mems of q new kind Of draining tube, under
the name of "Porous Drain Tile" 1t did
not attract as much attention as some other
things Of less value to the farmer and al
though we saw that the Committee were so
well satisfied Of its Importance that they
awarded the inventor silver medal, we
lost sight Of the man and his machine aud
new tile, until few days since, when be
turned up at the Farmers, Club, and then
We ascertained that he bad established u
mandatory here in the city-not to make
farm drain tile, but for city drainage. TO
this maufactOry we have been, to see how
the thing is done, aud now We are satisfied
that any sensible farmer can manage the
machine and that good drain tile can be
made in the field at q very rapid rate, aud
of all the needed sizes, all upon the same
machine, which is one of the most ingenious
OF modern Yankee inventions. 1t is operat-
ed entirely by hand, by two men, one to
operate the machinery that gives pressure
to the material in the mold, and one to
mix the material, put in the hopper and
empty ones in their place A full-sized
machine, with full set of smolds for pipes
from two to twelve inches diameter, will
cost $500 = and one for farm use, making
only two to four.inch pipes, costs 500.
The small machine does its work equally
perfect, but works slower, and is only suf
fcient for small sizes, aud these should be
made in short lengths, say one foot long,
the general length being eighteen inches.
(. The material used is coarse sand and
water lime, known as "Rosendale cement"
and we Judge from looking at the operation
of mixing, about one measure of cement to
six or seven of sand, aud just water enough
tomoistcn the materials so that when q
handful is pressed together in the hand it
will slightly adhere together so as to retain
its form. Herein is the secret of the poros-
ity Of these pipes, which are so great that
water poured slowely upon pipe laid IN
clning, soaks through the upper part and
appears to concentrate in the interior and
run ont the end. These pipes are actual
water-fters, and much more porous than
we'll burnt clay tiles.
If trife more cement was added, and
water enough to make the mixture into. "a
soft mortar, and then made into pipes by
the same process as the other, they form.
water-tight tubing, and could be made with
very light pressure, whereas the porous
pipe, made of the simply moistened sod and
cement, require and obtain tremendou,
pressure, the machine being geared to give
LOO pounds pressure for every so pounds
of power applied. The monds, as they
come from the press, are allowed to stand
for few minutes to harden, and then they
are discharged from the molds as they stand
on end in the place where they are to dry
which they will do in few hours, Sufficient
to handle aud pack away, where they con.
tinue to grow more and more firm, and
strong enough to use after day or two,
and are not injured by rain, as they actual.
ly harden faster in water than in dry
place so that no expensive shelter would
be requisite for the manufacture on farm.
The coarser the sand the better. That
which we saw used on Monday was the
sand of the decayed granite of this region.
In. the interior of this State, the decayed
shale rock has been fonnd to answer, the
not as well as this sharp material that
comes from crushed quartz. The common
bank sand, such as masons use, will answer,
or that which is screened out of coarse
gravel will be still better, SO that there is
no lack of material for such dran-pipes
upon most farms. where the cement can be
obtainable at a moderate price. This new
invention is worthy of the attention of all
farmers.