rubbish, running
from the ditches above the basin, and care must be taken to prevent this
drain from becoming choked. A piece of wire cloth, or basket work, placed
over the outlet in the basin, will keep out the coarser matters, and the
mud which would accumulate in the tile may be removed by occasional
flushing. This is done by crowding a tuft of grass,--or a bit of sod,--into
the lower end of the tile (at the outlet,) securing it there until the
water rises in the basin, and then removing it. The rush of water will be
sufficient to wash the tile clean.

This plan is not without objections, and, as a rule, it is never well to
lay any tiles at the lower end of a drain until all above it is finished;
but when a considerable outlet must be secured through soft land, which is
inclined to cave in, and to get soft at the bottom, it will save labor to
secure the tile in place before much water reaches it, even though it
require a daily flushing to keep it clean.

*Opening the Ditches.*--Thus far it has been sought to secure a permanent
outlet, and to connect it by a secure channel, with the silt-basin, which
is to collect the water of the different series of drains. The next step
is to lay open the ditches for these. It will be best to commence with the
main line _A_ and its laterals, as they will take most of the water which
now flows through the open brook, and prevent its interference with the
rest of the work.

The first work is the opening of the ditches to a depth of about 3 feet,
which may be best done with the common spade, pick, and shovel, except
that in ground which is tolerably free from stones, a subsoil plow will
often take the place of the pick, with much saving of labor. It _may_ be
drawn by oxen working in a long yoke, which will allow them to walk one on
each side of the ditch, but this is dangerous, as they are liable to
disturb the stakes, (especially the grade stakes,) and to break down the
edges of the ditches. The best plan is to use a small subsoil plow, drawn
by a single horse, or strong mule, trained to walk in the ditch. The beast
will soon learn to accommodate himself to his narrow quarters, and will
work easily in a ditch 2-1/2 feet deep, having a width of less than afoot
at the bottom; of course there must be a way provided for him to come out
at each end. Deeper than this there is no economy in using horse power,
and even for this depth it will be necessary to use a plow having only one
stilt