Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-10-21
Digging Bitches Economically.

A ditch is an open channel for conduct
ing water, while drain consists of a sub
terraneous passage for water When
bitches are excavated with hand tools only
the work is laborious and the cost more
expensive than when teams and machinery
can be employed to perform part of the
work. Many years ago when we were in
the possession of farm, much Of which
required draining, we performed large
portion of this irksome drudgery by the
aid of the team and the common plow
Setting stakes for the line of the drain the
pillow was run along this line, turning a
turrow, which was then thrown back out
Of the way by hand with shovels. The
pillow was then put through back again
down the drain, the near horse walking in
the furrow; this loosened dirt was also
thrown back We found, however, that
this opened the ditch rather too narrow,
and in cutting one since, proceeding in the
same way, allowed the of-horse to walk
back in the cleared furrow, which, if the
pillow is set for narrow turrow in common
blowing, will cut about the right width,
The plowing and clearing was continued
(the near horse in the furrow) through
three times more, when we found we
could 90 no deeper because the double
whitfletree dragged on the ground.
The clevis was then raised above the
top of the beam, and one horse put on,
which by walking in the ditch drew the
pillow up and down once more, thus loosen
ing the hard soil about one foot in depth.
The work was done in less than half a
day, and saved at least two-thirds the
labor had it been dug by hand. Our
ground is full of small stone, making the
use of pick requisite, and increasing the
work of ditching to some extent above
that of a simple clayey soil. After this
experiment long double whitlietree was
employed (say six feet in lengthy with a
horse at each end. Then the subsoil pillow
was drawn by a chain three or four feet
long extending from the whittletree to the
pillow. With a subsoil pillow the earth
could be broken up to the depth of three
feet When laying small drain-tile in a
ditch it is nice job TO get level sur
face among the stone and over the occa-
sional soft spots of sandy clay found
along the bottom. When laying tile of
any size we first place them within reach
along the bank, and then, facing the head
ot the drain, stand upon each one, and
with one foot stamp il down until 1t will
not rock or TIP elther way. TN ground
free from stones the work is simple and
easy, but here we often come to spot
where stone of some size has TO
be removed TO get level bottom.
Here the tile will not lie firm without
the hole is filled up with small stone and
Hat one placed under the end of this tile
and the next one, just low enough 10
keep the watercourse level. When the
tile lies firm under our feet as we stand
upon it we proceed to the next and not
before. In the sandy bottom soft spots
larger flat stones are filled in 10 keep the
course of tile to Its proper place SO that
they NAV not sink into the mud and thus
become INSTRUCTED. When these soft,
sandy places are over two feet in length
we Law in a good sound board to keep the
tiles in the proper place.
As covering for tile before putting on
the dirt we have used straw, small stone
and pieces of sod; but it is only the larger
cracks which need anything, and sods are
generally most easily got, and we think
will answer every purpose After shovel
ing in few inches of dirt and treading il
down the remainder may be filled in by
Il