l8oo. On the Benefit of Water Meadows. 323 



nant in a water-mead country ; it mud be always k-'pt in 

 action, to be of any fervice : befides, many of the beft water 

 meadows were, in their original ftate, a ftagnant unwhole- 

 fome morafs. 



The drainincf fuch l,;nd, and making it fo firm that the 

 water may be taken off at will, muft contribute to the heal- 

 thinefs of the country, inflead of injurint^ it. 



Great advantages from water meadows. — It is frequently 

 afked, how it comes to pafs, that jilthough water meadows 

 are fo ufeful, as to be almort indifpenfable in South WiltOnre, 

 yet. in other counties, where they are not known, the want 

 of them is not felt , nay, that there are, even in this diitridt, 

 many pariflies who have none, and even breed lambs without 

 them ^ To this I anfwer, that the fair queftion is not, ** How 

 do other counties do without them ?" but, " How could the 

 farmers of this diftri(fb, who are happy enough to have water 

 itieadows, purfue their prefent fyftem of flieep breeding, if 

 thofe meadows were taken away ?" A fyftem which, 1 do. 

 not hefitate to fay, is niore profitable to themfelves, their 

 landlords, and the community at large, than any other that 

 could be fubftituted in its room ; and perhaps this queftion 

 cannot be anfwered better, than by ex:iibiting the contrail be- 

 twcet> thofe who have vater meadows, and thofe who have 

 none, in the fame diftri£l. 



Every farmer, -vho keeps a flock of fheep, and particularly 

 a breeding flock, in fo cold and late fpringing a di^rift as 

 South Wilts, knows and feels the onfcquences of the month 

 of April, — '* That month, between hay and grass, in which he 

 who has not water meadows ..or his ewes an.; Iambs, frequent- 

 ly has nothing !" The ewes will bring a very good iamb with 

 hay only ; perhaps a few turnips are preferved for the lambs^ 

 ■which, in a favourable fcafon, m ly laft them through Mar^n ; 

 but if they are then obliged to go to hay again, the ewes 

 (brink their milk, the lambs " pitch and get ftuared," and the 

 beft Summer food will not recover them, lo prevent this, 

 recourfe is had to feeding the ^.^rafb of thofe dry meadows that 

 are intended for hay, the young clovers, and frequently the 

 young wheat ; in fa£l:, every thing that is green. — And who 

 will pretend to eftimate what is the lofs that a farmer fufFeis 

 by Ihis expedient ? 



The rye grafs, on the expofed parts of this diftridi, is fel- 

 dom *• a bite " for the (beep, till May-day. If the fe^fon 

 ihould permit any turnips to be kept till that time, (which 

 can feldom be depended upon), they are -not only of little 



F f 2 nourilhment 



