DRAINING WITH THE MOLE PLOUGH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2003, 14 July 1892, Page 7

DRAINING WITH THE MOLE PLOUGH.

KNfiINK VEItSUri UOItSES.

On this subject a correspondent signing himself " Cockie" writes :—": — " The mole plough is now recognised by all who have seen land that has been drained, as a perfect means of overcoming the difficulty of expense in the old system of tile and stone drains. There are afc present two distinct systems of mole draining. One is done by a team of horses and the other by steam." "With the horses a drain is taken from the outlet and back ; the plough is taken out on the back drain the length of the team off the outlet, which makes it necessary to dig out and put in tiles for u that distance in every other drain. With horses all main drains have to be put in with tiles, as it takes a much greater strain for main than ordinary drains. Again, if the plough has to go through iron-clay cement the horses cannot do it, so the plough is taken out, and a patch is left for the farmer to dig out and '.tile. The engine, on the other hand, completes the job, puts in all main drains, puts all drains into outlets, and saves all tramping with horses, as the work is done from, the highest ground with a steel wire rope, thereby saving the farmer all extra work carting tiles, &c.