The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.Shaw, Ellen Eddy
General
The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.
Shaw, Ellen Eddy
Gardening -- Juvenile literature
Albert ploughed a furrow straight along the line and ploughed back
again. Then he reploughed. The boys then began to dig, making a ditch
three feet deep right through the land. In order to get the right level
they used a home-made device and plumb-line which can be made as
follows: Nail the ends of two six-inch boards ten feet long, so as to
make a right angle; then across the open end of the triangle, nail
another six-inch board having the lower edge about a foot from the ends
of the boards. Cut off the ends of the boards on a level, so that they
will rest evenly on the ground. Next drive a nail into the apex of the
triangle, and to it tie a line long enough so that when the triangle is
stood on its legs, the plumb-bob, which you will tie on the other end of
it, will almost reach the ground.
The centre must next be determined. To do it, set the triangle up on its
legs on a level place and when the plumb-line comes to rest, mark the
place. A lead-pencil mark will do, but as it is liable to become
obliterated by the dirt, a saw mark is more permanent.
Now you know what the grade of the bottom of your ditch will be.
Reproduce this on a level place by means of a board with a large enough
block under one end to give the right pitch; put the triangle on this
and when the plumb-line comes to a rest, mark the place on the cross
piece. Reverse the ends of the triangle to get a similar mark on the
other side of the centre or level mark. This makes a level by which a
fairly accurate grade can be made.
The tile pipes were laid upon a bed of gravel. This prevents the
clogging up of the loosely put together joints. To fit tiles place the
small end of one into the large end of the next, and so on. Over the end
of the last tile, which emptied into the brook, they wired a bit of
rather fine-meshed chicken wire.
Then the trench was filled in. By test Albert had found the soil of this
land acid. Lime was to be put on it. Now lime must be in a crumbling
state for this purpose. So after they had bought the lime they dumped it
in a heap on a corner of the plot. After it had become air slaked, or
reduced to a powder by the action of air upon it, it was spread over the
lot. This and considerable fertilizer was ploughed in. The boys then had
an ideal sort of planting soil for almost anything. The drain actually
worked.
Now some boy may ask, suppose a fellow has no tile and cannot afford to
buy any. In such a case there are two alternatives or choices. A wooden
trough may be made by nailing together boards six inches wide. Then make
a gravel bed and tip this trough over on it peak up. The wooden drain,
however, is likely to rot. The other way is to put a double row of
stones right through the centre of the bed slope. These
stones--perfectly flat ones--should be placed on end with a foot between
the rows. In this space put small stones.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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