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round, or pipe tiles, the rounded point aiding in forming a groove in the bottom of the trench, in which the tiles

are bedded. The draining spades now in

use for cutting the lower part of a narrow trench, are of this same pattern, but the blade is made longer, which increases their efficiency.

From the tapering form of these spades, they cannot be used to throw out the earth from the narrow trench which is cut with them, and scoops were invented for this purpose, and for smoothing the bottom of the trench, and preparing a suitable bed for the tiles.

In figs. 19 and 21 are two forms of scoop, figured by Stephens in his Book of the Farm in 1844. The draw, or pull scoop, fig. 19, was intended to be used for smooth

ing the bottom of the ditch

FIG. 19. PULL for flat-bottomed and horseDRAIN SCOOP. shoe tiles, and it was changed to the form represented in fig. 20, for laying round pipe tiles. It will be seen that earth cannot readily be thrown out of the ditch with this form of scoop, and the push scoop, fig. 21, was invented. for that purpose. These scoops are, however, practically worthless in the hands of an ordinary workman; the pull scoops, unless very heavy, tremble, and FIG. 20. PULL are not readily guided; the push scoops DRAIN SCOOP, FOR are heavy on the point when loaded, and

ROUND TILES.

roll in the hands when raised to the surface of the ground, and from the attachment of the shank at the

end of the blade they are easily broken. On account of these, and many other defects which might be enumerated, they have not been used, to any

FIG. 21. PUSH

DRAIN
SCOOP.

extent, in draining. After a thorough trial of these scoops in a variety of soils, at the Michigan Agricultural College, several years ago, they were found to be useless, and finally consigned to the museum of obsolete implements. As a scoop was evidently needed to supplement the draining spades in excavating narrow trenches, I succeeded, after a number of experiments, in inventing a combined pull and push scoop, that was free from the defects of the old forms, a description and figure of which were published in the Report of the Michigan Board of Agriculture for 1873. After an experience of several years, in all kinds of soils, this scoop (fig. 22) has proved to be a satisfactory tool, in every respect, for removing earth from the trench DRAINING and preparing a bed for the tiles;

FIG. 22.

MILES'

SCOOP.

as it is light and well balanced, and, from the position of the shank in the middle of the blade, it is much stronger than the old forms. An improved method of using this scoop will be given in the chapter on construction. A set of draining tools, copied from Gisborne's Agriculture, 1854 (fig. 23), furnishes a good illustration of forms that cannot be used with advantage. The scoops and the tile-layer are intended for use from the banks of the ditch, but they are awkward and heavy tools, and it is almost impossible to lay tiles with them on a reasonably true grade,

FIG. 23. OBSOLETE DRAINING TOOLS.

In directions for "opening the ditches," in Draining for Profit and for Health, Col. Waring gives a figure of a “finishing scoop" (fig. 24), and of a finishing

FIG. 24.

spade, (fig. 25), which, according to

my own experience, are quite as defec-
tive as the tools in the preceding figure.
The curved sole of the scoop is not the
best form for jointing a true
grade, and the curved shoul-
der and square point of the
spade do not recommend it
as the best tool for making a
narrow cut for round tiles.
Modified forms of
my drain-
ing scoop, which have been
made and placed on the mar-
ket, are represented in figs.
26 and 27. They are, how-
ever, too heavy for the in-
tended purpose; the sides of
the form, fig. 26, are too high
for convenient use in adhe-
sive soils, and there appears
to be no practical advantage
in the adjustable arrange-
ment of the blade, repre-
sented in fig. 27, while it
increases the weight of the
scoop, which is a serious ob-

jection. The shovel scoop, FIG. 25. FIN-
described in chapter nine, SPADE.

ISHING

FINISHING for five or six inch tiles, and the lighter and simpler form of better proportions,

SCOOP.

figs. 22 and 30, for smaller sizes, will be found, in every respect, much more convenient and satisfactory than these heavier implements.

The large handles and heavy blades of the so-called improved draining scoops in the market are defects that materially diminish their value, without any compensating advantages. A few ounces of unnecessary weight in a tool with a long handle, to move earth in the bottom

[graphic]

FIG. 26. DRAINING SCOOP. FIG. 27. ADJUSTABLE DRAINING SCOOP.

of the ditch, will be found a severe tax upon the muscular energies of the workman in the course of the day, and diminish his efficiency accordingly. The weight must be raised on the long arm of the lever, and the effective force required to lift it is proportionately increased.

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