In presenting this book to the public the writer desires to say that, having in view the great importance of thor- ough work in land draining, and believing it advisable to avoid every thing which might be construed into an approval of half-way measures, he has purposely taken the most radical view ofthe whole subject, and hasendeavored to emphasize the necessity for the utmost thoroughness in all draining operations, from the first staking of the lines to the final filling-in of the ditches. That it is sometimes necessary, because oflimited means, or limited time, or for other good reasons, to drain partially or imperfectly, or with a view only to temporary results, is freely acknowledged. In these cases the occasion for less completeness in the work must determine the extent to which the directions herein laid down are to be disre- garded but it is believed that, even in such cases, the principles on which those directions are founded should be always borne in mind. NEWPORT, R. I., 186T. 24 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Pig. 1. A dry soil, from Dr. Maddens lecture 2.-Awetsoii 3. A drained soil t 4. Amap 13 13 14 ofland with swamps, rocks, springs and trees 5. Map with 50-foot squares and contour lines 6. Levelling fe instrument 7. rod 8. Map with contour lines 9. Wells 50 51 52 53 54 1 Clinometer 10. Stone pit to connect springwith drain 11. Stone pit and tile-basin for same object 12. Line of saturation between drains 56 59 60 65 13. Horse-shoe tile 78 14. Sole-tile 80 15. Double-sole-tile 80 16. Round tile or pipe and collar 81 is -Three profiles of drains with different inclinations 92 20. Map with drains and contour lines 21. Profile of Drain C 98 106 22. Set of tools, from Drainage desTerres Arables 114 23. Outlet secured with masonry and grating, from the same 118 24. Silt-basin, built to the surface 121 25. Finishing spade 123 26. scoop 123 27. Bracing the sides of drains in soft land 124 28. Measuring staff 124 29. Boning-Rod 125 30. Position of workman, and use of scoop, from Drainage des Terres 126 Arables 31. Use of Bomng-Rods 126 32. Tile-pick 131 33. Lateral drain entering at top ofmain 134 34. Sectional view of joint 134 35. Square, brick silt-basin 135 36. Silt-basin of vitrified pipe 134 37. Tile Silt-basin 136 38. Maul for ramming 138 39. Board scraper for filling ditches 140 40. Drain with a furrow at each side 141 41. Foot-pick .156 42. Pug-Mill ... 179 43. Plate of dies 180 44. Cheap wooden machine, from Drainage des Terres Arables 45. Mandril for carrying tiles from machine, from 181 the eame 46. Clay-kiln, from Journal Royal Agricultural Society 47. -Dyke Dyke and ditch . . 182 184 197 48. Old system ofhouse I drainage, from Report of Board of 236 j 49. New . I Health, England. 237 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. LAND TO BE DRAINED, AND THE REASONS WHY. Indications of the need of draining. Sources of water. Objections to too much water. Wet sub-soil. CHAPTER II. HOW DRAINS ACT, AND HOW THEY AFFECT THE SOIL. Characteristics of a well laid tile-drain. Surface-water and rain-water beneficial, springs and soakage-water injurious. Cracking of stiff clays. Evaporation and filtration. Rain-fall. Evaporation. Temperature.- Drought. Porosity or mellowness. Chemical action in the soil. CHAPTER III. HOW TO GO TO WORK TO LAY OUT A SYSTEM OF DRAINS. Amateur draining Maps...