Manor Farm^ Bray don, Wilts. 385 



of the soil for a considerable space on either side of the drain — 

 the water is thus enabled to penetrate more readily into the drains ; 

 the greatest depth that is practicable is about three feet, more 

 often thirty inches : this may be enough for grass, provided the 

 drains are sufficiently near. 



Mr. Ruck made use of his old 12-horse engine to drive the 

 windlass ; the distance between the drains being about three yards, 

 and the depth varying from thirty inches to three feet. In this 

 way from four to five acres were got over in a day, at a cost, 

 including interest of money, of not more than 20^. an acre. We 

 have before noticed that the surface of the land is the water-table 

 at Braydon ; and it is the fact that after the autumn rains the 

 streams which receive the water are strongly coloured by the 

 manure washed off the surface. 



The effect of draining grass-land is often less satisfactory than 

 was expected. Many people imagine that it is only neces- 

 sary to remove the stagnant water, in order to convert a half- 

 starved pasture into a rich nutritious herbage. Nothing can be 

 more erroneous — for a time, at least, the effect of draining is to 

 render land less productive than before. The water-grasses, which 

 have hitherto given bulk, disappear ; the mineral riches of the soil 

 are still locked up, requiring the action of the air to set them free, 

 and there is often a decided falling off, or at any rate no visible 

 improvement. Mr. Ruck, however, took a more sensible view : 

 he determined to stimulate the growth of the better grasses by 

 the application of artificial manures, in small quantities often 

 repeated. The soil was deficient, as our analyses shew, in lime 

 and phosphates. Bones would have produced a permanent altera- 

 tion, but bones are costly and slow of action — a mixture of 

 Peruvian Guano and superphosphate of lime was therefore used : 

 3 cwt. per acre, in the proportion of 1\ cwt. of the former to 1 J 

 cwt. of the latter, appeared a suitable mixture to produce an im- 

 mediate effect. This was applied in April, 1862, previous to the 

 draining, distributed through 600 gallons of water, a dilution by 

 which it was conveyed more immediately to the roots of the grasses. 

 The cost of this dressing was 26^. an acre, and the effect was 

 extraordinary. No hay was cut in 1862, but the land was grazed 

 with sheep and cattle eating a mixture of artificial food — that given 

 to the sheep cost lOfZ, a head per week, and gave a return of \s. bd. 

 This was the treatment for the first year. A main artery to receive 

 the drainage of the whole property was cut, and the ditches dug 

 out and deepened. The soil derived from these operations was 

 carefully thrown up into heaps, mixed freely and thoroughly in- 

 corporated with quick lime, and allowed to lie for some time, a 

 portion of farm-yard manure was afterwards worked in, and thus 

 a capital compost prepared for application in 1863. The grasses, 

 though improved, were still very coarse, and the Devil's Scabious 



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