Film shows ditching by hand by two men Two men display their ditching tools and prepare to ditch, Bill Russell and Frank. Bill cuts along the side of the ditch, sloping slightly. Frank shovels earth from the bottom of the ditch, Bill shows him how to do it properly throwing the earth further away and spreading it out. Bill loosens the earth at the bottom of the ditch and Frank shovels it out. Diagram of mole or tile drains across a field shown. Drainage plan of Queens Allotment, Haincault, Essex 1857 shown. Old documents showing location of drains. Ditchers find an old mole or tile drain and clear it out. Bill fences a hole in the hedge with stakes and thorns woven through it. Bill and Frank stop for lunch and sit and eat a sandwich. Gang laying drain pipes and mole draining machinery shown at work. Lunch over Bill and Frank carry on. They level the bottom of the ditch. An old culvert is dug up and the old pipes removed. New culvert pipe fitted and a headwall is constructed. Filled in and trodden firm. Shot of completed culvert. On the pasture side Bill and Frank put up a stand of barbed wire to keep cattle out. Bill and Frank make a watering place for cattle, sides are cut out to form a bay. A sill is put in using branches and stakes and a layer of hardcore is spread over the ground. A strand of barbed wire is put across the stream to prevent cattle straying up it. Mechanical excavators digging a ditch are shown with land girls trimming and grading. As an alternative to when good men may be in short supply due to the war. Ministry of Information for the Ministry of Agriculture Director Margaret S Thompson [1910-2005] Camera A E Jeakins Commentary Roy Hay A Realist film unit production
