The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-02-01
For the anderson Lntsllsge"eer.
Land Drainage.

of Draining Distance OF DRAINS ana Depth Vi
Drains. I now set out with the subjects of
Cutting Drains, Tiles for Drains, &C., as prom
ised.
CUTTING OF DRA1Ns.@f1The greatest impor-
tance is attached to the accuracy with which
the bottoms of drains are CUT and this is par
ticularly necessary where the ground is nearly
level. and but little fall can be obtained. The
consequences of defect are the softening OF the
earth where the water settles, and the necessa-
ry displacement and injury of the drains.
Upon land sloping considerably, 1t is easy to
determine by observation where the bottom is
properly finished, but upon fat land some in
strument must be used- The process of cut
tinedrains, and two simple instruments, are
thus described by DR.. Mcfarland:
lsTwo hands should always be associated in
the work of draining. The first, proceeding in
advance. cuts with the blade of his shovel, or
with turf-cutter, the sods to be removed to
some distance, ,lifting and laying them on one
side Of the line of the ditch. He also removes
the lighter soil from the top, which he deposits
on the opposite side. The second removes
with the spade and pick remaining earth In the
drain until it is carried down to the required
depth, guaging its width by simple instru-
ment," (for lack of the cut we give the descrip-
ton in our own words,) formed by an upright
staff, crossed at right angles by two rods; the
first of length exactly equal to the required
width of the ditch at the top, and at height
from the foot of the staff equal to the depth of
the ditch, and the second of half the length of
the first, and midway between the top rod and
foot of the staff. This will aid very much in
approximating to accuracy in mostcases. The
depth to which it is necessary to dig, and which
varies with the undulations of the land, may
be determined by the following means: "Driye
down stake at the highest point in the field
where the draining is to commence, and place
spirit-level horizontally up on the top. Then
take sight along its surface to another stake,
driven down at the lowest point, where the
drain is to terminate. IF the spirit-level is
placed four feet from the ground, and the range
of vision marks point on the other stake SIX
feet from the ground, you have obviously fall
oftwo feet between the extremes of the meas
urement. You may then divide the intcrven-
ing distance into sections by stakes driven at
suitable intervals, with the exact fall designa-
ted by line stretched from one to the other.
The descent of the water will then be equal in
all parts of the drain, and you will not be de-
ceived in digging by inequalities in the surface,
and all the fall will be obtained of which the
ground admits. The degrees of fall necessary
to make drainage perfect is very slight. A
current may be maintained by fall of one
inch in ifty-three rods" (The information,
Mr.. Editor, that may be derived from the last
dozen or two lines is, to any of your readers
who may desire to go into the business of drain
age worth more than your charge for the In
teligencer for one year. Nothing can be more
reliable or perfect, with the simple means that
every operator may procure-S.) "No more
earth need be thrown cut than will enable the
proper depth to be reached. The bottom need
not be wider than to admit the tiles, and afford
room to lay them. In many instances the op-
Grafton may be much facilitated by running
piow along the line of the drain"
li.We give below" says our author, "a cut Of
the various implements used in England, as
given by Mr.. Coleman in his European Ag-
riculture.' Recent Improvements have been
made in the form of some of these, but they
will serve to give general idea of the imple-
ments used. They are now imported, and can
be purchased at most of the hardware stores"
(But, Mr.. Editor, presume you have not the
engravings of the different implements here
given. 1 shall pass over them, with the re-
mark that almost any practical farmer, with
the instructions above given for laying out the
ditch, its width, depth, &C., will at once have.
an. idea of the form of implements necessary to
the least laborious and expensive completion
of the work in hand.-S)
TILES FOR DRAINING Having now COM
pleted the ditch, we are ready for the tile,
which vary in form and size. Mr.. Donald says,
lin some districts preference is still given to
the common kind, open at the bottom, from
two and one-half to three inches in width, and
from three to four inches in height inside.
These were the kind originally adopted, and
when we'll made, carefully laid with soles un-
derneath, they are by no means unsuited to the
purpose, as a drain both efficient and perma-
nent may, in ordinary cases, be constructed
with them. They require sole not less than
five inches in breadth, and at least foot in
length size sufficient, under all ordinary
circumstances, to prevent the slightest chance
of arrangement by sinking
Figure 5, (of which you may not have an
engraving, Mr.. Editor,) represents the horse
shoe tile as first used Plank have been found
to answer good purpose for soles in this coun-
try, but they eventually rot out, and the tiles
become displaced.
"Such tiles are, however, larger and heavier
-aA..:n;4o tlnrnnnxh 1lrni ninnr thpN