Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-01-10
FARM AND GARDEN.
Of INTEREST TO CULTlVATORS OF
LARGE AND SMALL FARMS.
Practical Points in Drainnge-Uow to
Find and Keep Grade-HOw to Dig
Ditches-DirectionsA About the Lay
ing and Covering of the TILES.

w. J. Chamberlain, of the Iowa Agri-
cultural college, contributes to Country
Gentleman some practical hints on drain
Rge, which are of general interest. First,
he tells that the mains ought to follow
the natural depressions where the water
runs off upon the surface in wet times,
of course strengthening the crooks some
what. If there is n regular slope like the
roof of house, only not so steep, the
mains should take the of place the caves
troughs, and the latcrals, if any, should
run straight down the slope rs nearly as
may be. If the fall is very slight, it may
need field levcling instrument to lay
out the system. But usually very wet
time is the best to locate drains. A fur
row plowed then by the eye will work
its own grade or show it.
If you have not ditching machine
use heavy working plow to throw out
the first eight or ten inches, drive
straight. Begin the spade digging at
the outlet and work along up the mairs
and laterals. The water will show the
level. Permit no dips or deprossions
Dig as narrow and true as possible to the
required depth, and groove the bottom
of the ditch with bottoming scoop of
size adapted to the tiles used, The grade
may be nearly established with the plow
blowing deeper through knobs and
shallower through deprcssions, then dig
two or three depths of the spade accord
ing to depth required, keeping the spade
at the same angle all the time, and
thrusting it full depth each time. If
there is no water in thesoil to show level,
the surcst way is to draw some into the
field, and when your eye or the span
level says your groove is cut straight
and true for 4 hundred feet or more,
turn in just enough water at the upper
end to test it. If it stands anywhere in
long puddlcs, you must cut down the
high portions until no puddles remain.
Mr.. Chamberlain makes the span level
thus: Take three pieces of 1 by 2 inch
pine batten s. feet long, halve them to-
gether with screws firmly at the ends in
the form Of an equilateral triangle. Then
half way up from one side, b c, and cX-
actly parallel to it, screw on fourth
piece d e (see figure). To the side of the
cross piece, d e screw a common rs cent
spirit level, e, so that when stands
on level floor the air bubble shall show
level, and its middle be the middle of d g.
Change the triangle end for end on the
floor, to be sure your spirit level is eX-
actly parallel with the bottom OF c.
Then if you want to graduate it raise
b inch at time, leaving resting on
the floor, and mark the brass of the
spirit level for each quarter and half
inch up to two or three inches. Then
raise in the same way and graduate
the other side.
Before the groove is cut in the bottom
of the ditch this span level may be APP
piled all along, and show the exact fall
per rod. Then the groove cutter can
take out humps, and the level test its
work. & c is half rod long. and 50 one
quarter inch fall for its length makes one
half inch fall per rod, and 50 on. Never
be content unless your level shows some
fall towards your outlet, The more uni
form the fall the better. If you know,
for example, that your fall is only one
half inch per rod, you must keep your
grade down to about that rate, not vary
ing, or you will have trouble. Begin
ming at the lower end the tendency of q
new hand is to "lose grade" that is, to
work towards the surface. The span
level will help prevent this.