devices have been tried to save the expense of soles, such as
providing the edges of the tiles with flanges or using pieces of soles
on which to rest the ends of the tiles. They all leave the bottom of the
drain unprotected against the wearing action of the water.

HORSE-SHOE TILES, or "tops and bottoms" as they are called in some
counties, are still much used in England; and in personal conversation
with farmers there, the writer found a strong opinion expressed in their
favor. The advantages claimed for the "tops and bottoms" are, that they
lie firmly in place, and that they admit the water more freely than
others.

The objections to them are, that they are more expensive than round
pipes, and are not so strong, and are not so easily laid, and that they
do not discharge water so well as tiles with a round bore. In laying
them, they should be made to rest partly upon two adjoining soles, or to
break bond, as it is called. The soles are made separate from the tiles,
and are merely flat pieces, of sufficient width to support firmly both
edges of the tiles. The soles are usually an inch wider than the tiles.

[Illustration: Fig. 30--HORSE-SHOE TILES AND SOLES.]

The above figure represents the horse-shoe tiles and soles properly
placed.

As this form of tile has been generally used by the most successful
drainers in New York, it may be well to cite the high authority of Mr.
Gisborne for the objections which have been suggested. It should be
recollected in this connection, that the drainage in this country has
been what in England would be called shallow, and that it is too recent
to have borne the test of time.

Mr. Gisborne says:

"We shall shock and surprise many of our readers, when we state
confidently that, in average soils, and still more in those which
are inclined to be tender, horse-shoe tiles form the weakest and
most failing conduit which has ever been used for a deep drain. It
is so, however; and a little thought, even if we had no experience,
will tell us that it must be so.

"A horse-shoe tile, which may be a tolerably secure conduit in a
drain of 2 feet, in one of 4 feet becomes an almost certain
failure. As to the longitudinal fracture, not only is the tile
subject to be broken by one of those slips which are so troublesome
in deep draining, and to which the lightly-filled material, even
when the drain is completed, offers an imperfect re