MANAGEMENT OF MARSH LANDS, &C. J$ 



water enough to do it properly, (the great errour lias been in TrisatMoc 

 attempting too much land with a given quantity of water) 

 no improvement can be so great. But the land must not 

 only be first drained of its under-water, but must be by na- 

 ture, or made by art, capable of draining itself, and that 

 speedily, from the water to be brought on by irrigation,or the 

 attempt should not be made; and marsh land is seldom in 

 this shape, unless a river runs through it, and there is of course 

 a natural fall in the land : where you have this advantage, 

 embrace it by all means; if you have not, be shy of attend- 

 ing any thing on a large scale, until you have consulted 

 some one who perfectly understands the subject. With 

 all the improvements to be derived from irrigation, 

 (and it certainly is the greatest improvement in agriculture) 

 local prejudices, in countries where it is but little known, 

 are strong against it. Every thing may look favourably, 

 and yet the water may not agree with the land, or the land 

 with the water ; and the owner may be put to a great ex- 

 pence, and not only be disappointed, but what is to the 

 full as vexatious, be laughed at by all his neighbours. 

 Begin therefore with a little, and do that little well. 

 You must not pretend to undertake irrigation by any writ- 

 ten instructions, which I or any one else can give you. You 

 must get a man who understands the subject practically, 

 and who will undertake it at a fixed price per acre. But 

 even then I would do but little at first, tben wait a year, 

 and see the effects, before I would go farther. And by the Wece*»rjfo 

 by, it is absolutely necessary, that your own workmen should convince the^ 

 see the effects, and understand the subject, and be fond 

 ©f it; for every farmer, let him profess what he will, is go- 

 verned by his own workmen ; aud whatever he may at- 

 tempt to do will never fully succeed, unless he can get them 

 to like it as well as himself. 



I am, &c. 



Horsingham, Oct. 1805. THOMAS DAVIS. 



minds of work 

 men. 



