Cultivation of Moorland. 377 



that contains the water. In extreme cases recourse has been had 

 to boring with boring rods to ascertain at what dej)th the stratum 

 containing the water Liy. This species of examination or test 

 has the merit of preventing any random or uncertain work in the 

 laying out of speculative drains, and affords data for judging of 

 the depth and substances to be dug through. The laying in of 

 drains upon sand or gravelly bottoms is a very hazardous opera- 

 tion, and care should be had in the proper selection of materials 

 to carry off the water. 



In the character of country now under discussion it is found 

 best (when passing these beds) to lay a layer of flat stones along 

 the bottom of the drains, and then place pipes with collars along 

 the line of centre, and fill up the sides with stone. Where stone 

 alone is used, the plan of setting the side stones upon the joint 

 of the bottom stones has been adopted to advantage, the drain 

 being completed with broken stone in tlie usual way— the chief 

 feature in eitlier case being to take care that the bottom stones 

 are equally weighted at eitlier end, or they may pitch at one end 

 and thus spoil the drain. 



In my own case, at the early stage of taking these wastes, or 

 rather morasses, in hand, I adopted the plans of trenching, double 

 digging, ploughing by horses walking on the side of the furrow, 

 «Scc. ; all of which plans I have since proved to be far too expen- 

 sive in the outset, as this amount of time and capital could be 

 better employed upon other lands, until the bog had become per- 

 fectly settled by consolidation. 



My subsequent plan has l)een to concentrate or conduct a body 

 of water at the higher level of the Ijog-land, and then wash on to 

 it soil of any kind that could be had in its neighbourhood by 

 means of " water-carriers :'' this deposit is placed thickly upon the 

 mossy peat, and with the assistance of lime it promotes the growth 

 of new natural and improving grasses, to the exclusion of the 

 sedgy mosses, which decay, and ultimately form a second manure 

 for future roots to feed upon. It must ever be remembered that 

 " economy of design and practice '' should be so blended as to 

 produce the greatest j)ossible return from a given em|il()vment of 

 capital — and this in the present instance has to be done u])on a 

 rude and rugged waste, acres of which are waiting their turn for 

 a share of the outlay. Thus it is found in general better to expend 

 (apital in the outset over many broad acres, than to confine a 

 heavy owtlay upon some lew acres of l)og, however inviting may 

 be the greater ultimate; return in the distance. The result of mv 

 trenching plan, cVlc., was tolerably good, but the latter plan I 

 found to be much better, and a great relief to my labour account 

 while other improvements were going on. The cost per acre of 

 redeeming the bog by cultivation stood as follows : — 



