i8oo. On the Benefit of Water Meadows, 319 



An imperfefl fcheme of w;itering had undoubtedly been 

 pTa£tifed before that period. Perh ps, indeed, its introduc- 

 tion into this di{lri£i: is almoft coeval with that of folding 

 <heep, with wh'ch it is intimately connected. But the regu- 

 lar modey in which both fyftems are now conducted, is cer- 

 tainly rot very ancient. Many old farmers, who have died 

 within the memory of man, remembered when neither of 

 the fyftems wa? condu£led on any regular plan. 



Theory of water meadows. — The idea of waterine: mea- 

 dow^, \o far as it vel ites to bringing the water upon the land, 

 was taken from nature. It muft have been always obferved, 

 th.it Winter floo is produced fertility, provided the water did 

 not remain too Inni* on the land. Tha idea of takinji rhe wa- 

 ter offiht 1 in ' at will, md bringing i on again at will, is the 

 effctt of art ; and the knowledge of the proper time to do 

 this, the effe£l of obfervation 



A water meadow is a hot-bed for grafs. In what manner 

 water afts upon land, fo as to produce a premature vegeta- 

 tion, before natural vegetation begins, is a philofophical pro- 

 blem which it is not a farnitir's province to folve. It was 

 fuflicient for him to know that the fa£l was fo. Obfervation 

 on the effedls of water fo brouglit on, foon fhewed them at 

 what period its good effects ceafed, and when it began to do 

 mifchief. This obfervation, therefore, regulated the time of 

 keeping the watr on the land ; and as this period was dilTer- 

 ent, on differeiit kinds of land, and at different feafons of the 

 year, it became n.^ceflary tha they fhould have fuch a com- 

 mand of the water, as to take it 0^ immediately, as foon as 

 they found the (late of the land required it. This, by de- 

 grees, produced that regular difpofition of the water- carriages 

 and water drains, which, in a well laid out meadow, bring on 

 and carry off the water, as fyftematicaliy as the arteries and 

 veins do the biood in the human body. 



As^ water meadows are totally unknown in many parts of 

 the kingdom, and but very partially known in others, it may 

 net be thought improper, in an agricultural account of South 

 Wiitfhire, to fpeak a little more fully on their nature and pro- 

 perties. If it ihould tend to excite the fame improvement in 

 other counties, one of the great obj'ecls of the mftitution of 

 the BoarH of .^t,Ticulture will be anfwered. 



Nature and properties of water meadows. — It has been al- 

 ready prcmiteci, tiiat the principle of a water me..dow is, the 

 power of bringing on and carrying off the water at pleafure. 

 And, provided this great object can be accomplithed, it is 



hot 



