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useful in breaking up the subsoil, though there is a difficulty in
working cattle astride of a deep ditch, encumbered with banks of earth.
A friend of ours used, in opening drains, a large bull in single
harness, trained to walk in the ditch; but the width of a big bull is a
somewhat larger pattern for a drain, than will be found economical.

The ingenuity of farmers in the use of a pair of heavy wheels, with a
chain attached to the axle, so that the cattle may both walk on one side
of the ditch, or by the use of long double-trees, so that horses may go
outside the banks of earth, will generally be found sufficient to make
the most of their means.

It will be found convenient to place the soil at one side, and the
subsoil at the other, for convenience in returning both right side up to
their places.

Having worked down to the depth of two feet or more, the ditch should be
too narrow for the use of common spades, and the narrow tools already
described will be found useful. The Irish spade, on our own fields, is
in use from the first to the last of the excavation; and at three feet
depth, we have our trench but about six inches in width, and at the
bottom, at four feet depth, it is but four inches--just wide enough for
the laborer to stand in it, with one foot before the other.

Having excavated to nearly our depth, we use the lines, as described in
another place, for levelling, and the men working under them, grade the
bottom as accurately as possible. If flat-bottomed tiles are used, the
ditch is ready for them. If round pipes are used, a round bottoming tool
must be used to form a semi-circular groove in which the pipes are to
lie.

We have not forgotten that English drainers tell us of tools and their
use, whereby drains may be open twenty inches lower than the feet of the
workman; but we have never chanced to see that operation, and are
skeptical as to the fact that work can thus be performed economically,
except in very peculiar soils. That such a _crack_ may be thus opened,
is not doubted; but we conceive of no means by which earth, that
requires the pick, can be moved to advantage, without the workman
standing as low as his work.

Having opened the main, and finished, as we have described, the minor
which enters the main at its highest point, we are ready to lay the
tiles.

By first laying the upper drain, it will be seen that we may finish and
secure our work to the junction of the first minor with its