The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-28
Communicated.
Draining.

There are many 1arms In flrglnla-and,
indeed, the whole South-that would be
greatly benefited by undertaking, but,
from want of proper knowledge as to how
to make draine, very few of the farmers
have ever attempted it. ... I'll
>" Draining tiles - are beyond doubt the
best for this purpose when they can be OBJ
tanned ut reasonable cost; plank is the next
best thing; stone and bush drains should
not be used at all, filing with silt very
easily when they are worthless. There are
several very good ways of making plank
drains; Gnd as there arc no doubt many
farmers who, like myself, cannot afford to
buy tiles at the enormous prices asked, but
caa easily obtain the plank or boards from
the saw:mill near them, will give few
hints on "draining" from actual e1pe-
rience, with the hope that it may be useful
to them in laying their "drains."
A very good drain can be made with two
planks-one four inches wide, the other
three inches wide, nailed together and used
as an inverted trough, thus A; this to be
used on hard-bottom bitches, where the
"silt " cannot wash in ridges, and thus OBJ
struct the opening. Another, very cx-
cellent one, is made Of three pieces of
plank of equal width, nailed thus ', which
can be used in any ditch. Do not use many
nails in the construction of these drains,
and the water will force its way in through
the cracks of the plank.
Water leaks into drains from the bottom
of the ditch, and not from the top, as is
supposed by many. Eight-feet lengths are
good size for handling. Place the drain
in the ditch, closing the upper end with
fat rock or block of wood, throw the earth
on carefully, q little at time, until the
weight is sufficient to keep the board in
place, when the men can get in the ditch
and trampit down gently when it settles fill
in the remainder of the earth. It is always
best to lay the boards when the ditch is
dug, taking care to close the end until
ready to receive another joint, as this pre-
vents the falling back of earth on the
graded bottom.
The digging of bitches properly is an i'm
portant matter, and should in no instanc,
be less in depth than three feet, and a
the bottom it need only be seven inche
wide. For small size stiles" they ar
made much narrower, perfectly graded Of
the bottom, with sufficient fall to carry Of
the water rapidly. The bitches should b.
only far enough apart to give the land tho
roug Oh drainage. ANY land 80 treated viii
repay its owner with largely-increased roo
crops, hay and grain crops.
In my garden have laid forty rods o
wooden drains at an average of forty fee
apart, some of them three and half fee
dcep-none less than three feet deep-an
any one can walk in it now after O heav
rain or melted snow without fear of sinkin
over his boot tops, which was not the cas-
before it Was drained. 1t has been rainin
last night and to-day, and on visiting N
drains this morning I find the clear waite
pouring out of them, and there is satisfac
ton in knowing that its fertilizing matter
have been retained in the soil. In tn
commencement of this letter I speak o
"draining tiles" at reasonable cost o
present the few tiles that may have BEEF
used at the South have come from the Nortl
at very high price, and the cost of cur
riage added, which make them too expen
sive to use. A price list cent me by on,
house at the North quotes: One and quar-
ter in round tiles and collars at twenty-tw
dollars per thousand feet" Waring, il
his Draining for Profit and Health,
speaking Of the cost Of tiles, says: They
should, in the ordinary case, cost, delivered
on the ground, not more than eight dollars pei
thousand for one and quarter inch tiles anc
four dollars per thousand for the collars
making o total of twelve dollars for both
equal to about nineteen cents per rod
With this comparative low charge for the
tiles, he makes the estimate per acre al
ffty-one dollars and twenty cents, with
drains forty feet apart, sixty-four rods to
the acre. His estimates are az follows per
rod: -
Digging the bitches. :;
Tiins "a jawinc - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 81
| I.orSmn nd hIItn1 ,............,.,... IL