Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-06-13
LAYING TILE DRAINS.
The Advice of n Farmer Who Has Ha
Considerable Experience.

IArING lille DRAINS.
The Advice Of Farmer Who Has Had
Considerable Experience.
In laying out the drains OF piece
oil ground, begin as you would in
building barn; that is, at the founda-
ton, and be sure you get it big
enough and strong enough to hold all
you may ever put on it. Decide ON
the size of tiles you think will take the
water us fast as it will ever come from
the branches, and then be sure to buy
one size larger than that. By SO
doing you will do away with the ponds
on your fields in the spring, which in
one year will damage your crops
more than the extra cost OF the tiles.
Don't try to do more in one year than
you can do well. II in after years you
find you have spread few tiles over
too much land, you will not like the
job Of taking up the lines and moving
them closer together, and putting
lines between what you have already
laid will perhaps make tiles much
thicker than necessary.
Provide box made of two-inch
planks with woven wire over one end
to lay the tile into the outlet. This
keeps small animals from entering
the drain and also keeps stock from
stamping out and breaking the tiles.
With the tiles on the ground and your
lines mapped out, the first thing is the
grading. If the ground slopes all the
way it is easy enough. If there is a
rise OF ground with depression be-
yond, better get a spirit level and de-
termine the exact depth of cut, as it
will probably save going to an unnec-
essary depth. You will be safe if you
allow one inch fall to the rod. In pre-
pairing the bottom for the tiles be sure
there are no low places or says in the
ditch, as every such place will surely
fill up with sand level with the grade,
and If the tiles are not stopped up en-
tirely, their carrying capacity will be
much reduced.
The next thing to consider is the
kind of soil at the bottom. If it is
clay it can be worked, no matter how
wet, but If it is sand it will cave, and
If you would get the tiles in right you
must wait until it is dry enough so
that it will not cave. Many drains
were crippled or entirely spoiled by
trying to lay them when there was too
much water in the sand and in the
sand is where the line is most needed.
1t makes no difference whether the
bottom is fat or rounding to fit the
tiles, and few cracks between the
tiles will do no harm, but the grade
level must be maintained. No matter
how much sand you may get into the
tiles in laying them, if there is ar
even fall Of an inch or more to the roc
it will all be washed clear through the
outlet. / once had more than wager
load of sand come from a neighbor's
field just on the other side of the line
fence, go fifty rods across my land tt
the open ditch we were both using fol-
an outlet and | had it to shovel ou
and the most of that sand had come
eighty rods or more. Still l would
not like to be bothered in the way hi
,ewas. 1t is better to wait until it il
dry. and then use line. Boards
brush, stones and filling the trench
with gravel have all been tried ovel
and over again, but they never worl
for more than few years.
Get tiles at no matter what cost ant
lay them, properly and you will hav'
something that will work for you win
ter and summer, night and day. with
out feed, without rest and for all time
AS to depth of laying, suit yourself
the deeper they are the wider the stril
they will drain. II you can not ge
them deep, don't be afraid Of frost.
have many times examined drains tina
were only just below the pillow, and
have yet to see the first tile that wa
faxed with frost when buried in tn
ground. 1t is better to tile land thi
year for next years crops. than it is t,
wait till next spring, because tn
ground without drains is packed an
air-tight, and it will take the frosts o
at least one winter to heave it up an
let in the air and give the water
chance to get to the tiles freely. Tile
never do their best until after one o
more winters on that account.-Cor
Ohio Farmer.