a803» ^^ P^^ Draining, 1 79 



,circumftance took place, wlilch, in the ardour of fuccefsful enter- 

 prize, I had not taken care to prevent. The fides of tlie pits, 

 •from the great weight of clay preHing upon them at tlietop. fud- 

 denly gave way, and precipitated the incumbent mals into the 

 place from whence it had, with much labour, been thrown. 1 

 thereby learned the neceffity of having a fupply of Hones ready 

 at hand, to fill up the pits immediately, to prevent the recur- 

 rence of fuch a difao-reeable circumftance. In this manner I 

 went on, pitting in fuch intervals of the drains as 1 thought ne- 

 celfary, until the whole was rendered dry and firm as c .y other 

 part of the field. Perhaps it may be a^ked, wculd not Elkin ton's 

 mode of boring have greatly facilitated the bufinefs, and en- 

 tirely fuperceded the tedious and expenfive procefs ct pitting ? I 

 can only anfwer, that as I had no boring irons, 1 could not make 

 the experiment. But there is oae advantage, v. hich, in my opi- 

 nion, pitting pofiTefles over boring, and that is with refpe^l to du- 

 rability. Where the water that ilTues from the aperture made 

 by the borer, continues to fiow without intermiflion, boring, in 

 that cafe, may be preferable, bccaufe a lefs expenfive operation ; 

 but m fuch foils, as I have had occafion to praftife draining in, the 

 ■fprings in fome feafons totally fail, fo that the fmall opening made 

 by the borer is liable to be obllru^led by moles, toads, &:c. ; 

 whereas pitting, if executed in a fubitantial manner, will, I have 

 jio hefitation in afierting, .continue in its ori^mal perfe6lion for 

 ages. I have now for leveral years continued pitting wherever 

 I have failed tapping the fpringb in the ordinary way of draining;, 

 and have the fatisfa<:!>ion to add, almcil invariably v\ith fuccefs. 

 Before I conclude, allow me to fugged fome hints that may be of 

 ufe to thofe, who, having fmall experience in draining, are defi- 

 rous to pracbife it in funh a manner as to render it of lafting uti- 

 lity. Expedition^ in carrying on the various operations of farm- 

 ing, is in none more neceflary than in draining. If pofi^ble, 

 «very different part of the procefs fhould fucceed another witli- 

 out delay. And nofooner has the labourer finifhed the fhovellino- 

 out the bottom of the drain, thv:n the carts fhould, if pracficable 

 from the ftate of the weather, be fet to work in carrying forward 

 •the ftones to fill it up to fuch a height as that the plough may 

 pafs over without touching them. And laftly, the fiones lliouki 

 be covered immediately^ with a layer of llraw, rullies, fern, or 

 any thing of the like nature, to prevent the earth, from mix- 

 ing amongd them, and thereby obIh-u61:ing the free courfe 

 of the water. By negiecting to attend in time to thefe 

 particulars, I have fr£quently feen fuch confequences en- 

 fue, as almoft entirely to fruftate the intended effe6f . For, 

 after the drain has received from the fpade that neat 



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