662 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



field. Four levels only are given in each ditch, and four across the 

 centre of the field, the remainder being put in with the T staves in 

 the same manner. By this means the work is satisfactorily done, and 

 the foreman is able to superintend the whole, check the levels of every 

 drain, and assist a second man in laying the pipes in the drains, of 

 which about 16 to 18 chains are cut every day from April to August, 

 the work being impracticable in winter. 



Four hundred and twenty acres of the land have been cropped, but 

 only 340 are at present under cultivation ; the remaining fields are 

 being treated as follows : Some of the heaviest clay lands are being 

 sanded to a depth of 3 or 4 inches by means of the j)ortable tramway 

 (two horses drawing a load of from 4 to 6 tons), 8 or 10 inches of sand 

 being taken from the sandy fields for this purpose, and to bring the 

 clay beneath within reach of the steam-plough. In other fields where 

 the clay is at a greater dej^th, pits are sunk, and the clay is harrowed 

 upon the land to a depth of 5 or 6 inches (when solid), the surface-level 

 having been previously reduced by harrowing the sand into the last pit 

 sunk ; in other parts where the clay is from 12 to 16 inches from the 

 sui-face, or where the sand is not required for the heavy lands, the 

 ground is trenched, and from 8 to 10 inches of the clay brought to 

 the surface : but in these cases, from the frequent occurrence of creeks 

 in the clay below, the sinking of a pit is often necessary to complete 

 the field and make the soil equally good throughout. 



With respect to cultivation but little at present can be said. Good 

 crojDS of wheat, oats, barley, coleseed, turnips, mangold-wurzel, and 

 clover have been grown upon the land, both before and since the 

 winter of 1862 ; but it was not until the summer of last year that the 

 land can be said to have recovered, to any extent, from the flooding at 

 that time. As soon as the fields have been drained, they are broken 

 up with Fowler's steam subsoil plough to a dej)th of 16 inches, allowed 

 to lie the winter, and j)ut under crop the following year. 



Since the erection of the main bank, the work has been all done 

 by Lord Leicester's own staif and labourers, with the surplus labour 

 of the immediate district, under his own personal direction. It has 

 necessarily, therefore, occupied a considerable time ; and no steps 

 have at j)resent been taken to reduce the croj)ping of the laud to any 

 system. 



Mr. E. B. Grantham, C.E., F.G.S., was very glad to lay his prac- 

 tical experience on the reclamation of land from the sea, and the 

 formation of tidal and other banks before the Society. Mr. Shellabear's 

 paper had a special local bearing, and gave an appropriate example of 

 the reclamation of land on the coast of Norfolk, showing at the same 

 time that there had been some failure, and that the bank had proved 

 very expensive. The question, on the whole, admitted of very general 

 treatment; the practice of enclosing lands from the sea being ex- 

 tremely ancient — a matter of interest even in the days of the Eomans. 

 At the present day it had lost none of its importance, but demanded 

 more and more the study and skill of the engineer. There would 

 always be vast difficulty in the prosecution of the work, because in 

 many cases the engineer was brought face to face with that powerful 



