6 



KEPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 67 



the farmer that his land is still so overcharged with moisture as 

 to be incapable of high and remunerative cultivation. Th< j . 

 drained clay lands on which these sedges are generally seen 

 growing, are those done about 20 years ago and previously, at a 

 depth of from 22 to 24 inches, and 15 or 18 feet apart. Sooner 

 or later the whole of that shallow drained land will have to be 

 gone over again. The tiles in some parts of these shallow 

 drained fields are now only 12 to 15 inches under the surface, 

 and do an actual injury to the top-ground, by filtrating off much 

 of the finer material of the soil, and part of the strength of the 

 manure in solution. Very probably, however, if the Alsyke 

 clover was sown to any extent on these shallow drained sedgy 

 fields, it would flourish to perfection even on the wettest of 

 them. 



The late Duke of Portland was the first to erect tile works 

 in Ayrshire during 1825, and in August 1826, in a 15 acre field 

 on the farm of Struthers, near Kilmarnock, tenanted by the re- 

 porter's father, the first drains were cut on His Grace's estates. 

 We suspect this to have been the first instance of parallel tile- 

 draining in Scotland, although parallel draining with broken 

 stones and " engine-danders " had been done in soma cases prior 

 to above date, as at Daldorch in Sorn parish, and which latter 

 are yet in efficient operation. It seems to the writer that a 

 great deal too much credit for inventing or devising the parallel 

 system of drainage is given to the " immortal Smith of Dean- 

 stou," as Mr. Sanderson styles him. The old duke (as good a land- 

 lord as ever Ayrshire had — would that his successor would come 

 down occasionally like his father and see for himself) had some 

 thousands of acres drained, and the whole farm of Struthers for 

 one, on the regular parallel system with tiles, long ere Smith's 

 name was heard of. A portion of the above-noted field at 

 Struthers was redraiued in winter 1861-62, and every tile (12 

 inches long X 4 in diameter) when lifted, was found as fresh 

 and good, and fit for service, as when first put in ; and the in- 

 creased crops from this portion since have well repaid the out- 

 lay. Draining was carried on briskly on the Portland estates at 

 a depth of about 2 feet and 18. feet apart up to near 1850, when 

 the depth was increased to 27 inches, then to 33, then to 36, 

 and finally to 42 inches, at which, except in special cases, it has 

 since remained. From 1826 up to 1846, his Grace had tile- 

 drained nearly 12,000 acres on his Ayrshire estates, before 

 many of our other proprietors had made more than a beginning. 

 All the land on the Portland estates needing is now drained ; 

 and, of course, much the greater proportion on the shallow 

 system. Most of the work done within the last six or seven 

 years has been redraining or deepening the old drains to 42 

 inches, although 3 feet is found sufficient in some cases, and 



