Farm drainage: The Principles, Processes, and Effects of Draining Land with Stones, Wood, Plows, and Open Ditches, and Especially with TilesFrench, Henry F. (Henry Flagg)
Science
Farm drainage: The Principles, Processes, and Effects of Draining Land with Stones, Wood, Plows, and Open Ditches, and Especially with Tiles
French, Henry F. (Henry Flagg)
Drainage
"It was found that a large proportion of sewers were constructed
with flat bottoms, which, when there was a small discharge, spread
the water, increased the friction, retarded the flow, and
accumulated deposit. It was ascertained, that by the substitution
of circular sewers of the same width, with the same inclination and
the same run of water, the amount of deposit was reduced more than
one-half."
THE SIZE OF TILES.
Is a matter of much importance, whether we regard the efficiency and
durability of our work, or economy in completing it. The cost of tiles,
and the freight of them, increase rapidly with their size, and it is,
therefore, well to use the smallest that will effect the object in view.
Tiles should be large enough, as a first proposition, to carry off, in a
reasonable time, all the surplus water that may fall upon the land.
Here, the English rules will not be safe for us; for, although England
has many more rainy days than we have, yet we have, in general, a
greater fall of rain--more inches of water from the clouds in the year.
Instead of their eternal drizzle, we have thunder showers in Summer, and
in Spring and Autumn north-east storms, when the windows of heaven are
opened, and a deluge, except in duration, bursts upon us. Then, at the
North, the Winter snows cover the fields until April, when they suddenly
dissolve, often under heavy showers of rain, and planting time is at
once upon us. It is desirable that all the snow and rain-water should
pass through the soil into the drains, instead of overflowing the
surface, so as to save the elements of fertility with which such water
abounds, and also to prevent the washing of the soil. We require, then,
a greater capacity of drainage, larger tiles, than do the English, for
our drains must do a greater work than theirs, and in less time.
There are several other general considerations that should be noticed,
before we attempt to define the particular size for any location.
Several small drains are usually discharged into one main drain. This
main should have sufficient capacity to conduct all the water that may
be expected to enter it, and no more. If the small drains overflow it,
the main will be liable to be burst, or the land about it filled with
water, gushing from it at the joints; especially, if the small drains
come down a hill side, so as to give a great pressure, or head of water.
On the other hand, if the main be larger than is necessary, there is the
useless expense of larger tiles than were required. The capacity of
pipes to convey water, depends, other things being equal, upon their
size; but here the word size has a meaning which should be kept clearly
in mind.
The capacity of round water-pipes is in proportion to the squares of
their diameters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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