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when it has been aflifted by the run of farm-yards, 

 arable-lands, fheep- Heights," &c. &c. This is the 

 general opinion of the watermen and farmers 

 here; they all agree that the lefs the water is 

 ftrained, and the nearer they take it from the 

 river, the better it is, and the more it enriches 

 the meadows, particularly when aflifted by the 

 run of yards, &c. 



When they are aflced to explain " What they 

 mean by being lefs ftrained?" They fay, it is when 

 the water is taken immediately out of the river, 

 ftream, &c. and conveyed upon the land, running 

 direclly off by the drains into the river again. 

 If, inftead of returning into the river, it be again 

 conveyed upon the lands below, and thus repeated, 

 it is then faid to have been ftrained, and not fo 

 efficacious; but if it be taken out of the ftream 

 again, after it has run fome way in the courfe, it 

 is then called head-water, and ufed with fuccefs. 

 This is nearly the general idea of the country. I 

 own it has never been fatisfa&ory to me, and I 

 juft hinted as much in the EfTay. 



If an enquiry be made, " Where, and which 

 " are the beft water-meadows?" The anfwer is, 

 Thofe above us. Enquire there: Thofe above us 

 are better than ours, for the water has not been fo 



much 



