Rice [pp. 502-511]

CULTIVATION OF RICE.
enough to be out of the way both of the outer enmbankment and the
miain ditch within and next to it. The site of the outer embankment
is then determined precisely; and along the centre of its intended
base there is dug a ditch 3 feet deep, 3 feet wide at top, and as much
or nearly so at bottom, This digging is for two purposes: first, and
principally, to remoye all stumps and roots of trees from below the
bottom of the future outer embankment, which, if left, would, in subsequent time, by their rotting, cause leaks to be produced; secondly,
the earth dug out of this central ditch is laid regularly and closely
just outside of its edge, and forms a bank sufficient to exclude the
ordinary high tides from covering the land, and troubling materially
the main operations which are to follow, for thoroughly embanking
and clearing the land. Through this first low bank, at a suitable
outlet, there is put in one of the ordinary tide-trunks, such as will
serve afterward for one in the finished embankment, and which will
serve sufficiently to exclude the high tides, and at low tide to discharge any accumulation of water in the area, from rains, springs, or
leakage of the low bank.
When carrying around this first ditch and slight embankment, all
the low places which serve as outlets of small creeks or " slues" are
omitted at first. When all the other parts are finished, these lower
parts are undertaken, for which a different and more laborious procedure is necessary. For the length across each such slue, two parallel lines of strong stakes or piles are driven perpendicularly and
deeply into the mud, and the lines wider out from the designed large
embankment than its two base lines. " String-pieces," or long horizontal timbers, are placed outside of and against these upright stakes,
2 to 3 feet lower than the designed height of the bank; and these
string-pieces kept in place, and made to brace and support the lines
of stakes, by upright and much stronger and longer piles driven at
intervals of 4 or 5 feet outside of the string-pieces, and opposite to
each other across the intended embankment; and, as high as its top
is to be raised, cap or cross pieces, made of round cypress poles 6
or 8 inches through, extend from each of these piles to its opposite
pile, securing them in place, and the whole structure together, by
minortises in the cap-pieces held by tenons on the posts. The embankment is then made within this frame-work, fully as high as the
general level of the small bank, if it be not convenient then to complete the full intended size at once at these low places.
The central ditch being completed, with its bank and the trunk
fixed (its bottom, as in all cases, being even with lowest tide), the
inner and outer lines of the base of the outside embankment are
staked off-which is usually not more than 12 feet wide (and sometimes less), for a designed height of 5 feet. It ought to be 15 feet,
or thrice as much as the height, at least. Within the inside base
line of the embankment? stake off another line parallel to it, and 15
feet distant, if the soil be stiff, or 20 feet if light and porous, which
space is for the inner margin. This width is for the river-side, or
exposed parts of the embankment. If along narrow creeks, or crossbanks, the inner margin need not be more than 10 to 15 feet. Along
the inside of this margin is laid off the main ditch, 8 feet wide, and
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