Three breaks only have been reported as due to defective metal or casting. No break of a sound shell of full thickness has been found. _Trenching_.--Deep frosts are unknown in this section. The pipe was laid so that the top was about 1 ft. below the surface of the ground. The trenching was a simple matter. Part of the work between Bonito and the railway on the Carrizozo plain was done by Buckeye ditchers. All other ditching was done by a railroad plow followed by pick and shovel, or by the two latter tools only. The ditcher could open 2,000 ft. of trench per day, but averaged about 500. The plow and 35 men could open 3,500 ft. A chain about 6 ft. long separated the end of the plow beam and the double tree. In this way the trench was plowed to the bottom. Two mules, two men, and a scraper could back-fill 3,500 ft. per day. _Pipe Laying_.--Between Bonito and the railway, one gang of ten men could lay 4,000 ft. of 12-in. pipe per day. The average was much less, owing to a variety of causes. At the end, the railway company added to the contractor's force, and laid the last 10 miles of pipe in 7 days, there being a half dozen separate gangs at work. Along the railway, the day's record on wood pipe was 4,000 ft. of 11-in., 6,200 ft. of 7-1/2-in. and 8345 ft. of 3-1/2-in, pipe laid by a gang of eight men after the pipe was distributed along the trench. These eight men, of whom five were Americans, laid 76 miles of pipe, and became expert. Their operation was like the working of a clock. On the 12-in. iron pipe, the regular day's work was 96 joints, or 1,152 ft. of pipe laid and caulked. The record was 1,644 ft. Two gangs laid 101,300 lin. ft. in 60 days. Such a gang consisted of 1 foreman, 1 inspector, 8 caulkers, 4 yarners, 1 melter, 1 pourer, 1 helper, and 10 men putting pipe into the trench. _Cost Data_.--The pipe from Bonito to the railway was laid by contract. The price was 18 cents per lin. ft. laid and back-filled from the railway to the Nogal Reservoir, and 28 cents from Nogal to Bonito. In addition, 50 cents per ton per mile was paid for hauling pipe, and extra compensation for setting valves. From Coyote, east along the railway, the work was done by the railway company under the writer's direction. The total cost of laying 384,300 ft. of wood pipe, from 11 to 3-1/2 in. in diameter, was $18,156.77, or 4.72 cents per ft., divided as follows: Ditching $0.0249 Laying 0.0113 Back-filling 0.0110 ------- Total $0.0472 This includes unloading from the cars. Train service cost 1/3 cent per ft. additional. The pipe gang, including back-filling, consisted of 1 foreman, at $100 per month, one assistant foreman at $75, and about 30 Mexicans at $1 per day. The rates were the same in the ditching gang. The plow team cost $6 per day. Including all general expense, the cost does not exceed 6 cents per lin. ft.