426 Successful. Result 
The nation has witnessed scenes of great distress during the year's 
of scarcity; but these bore no comparison to the present times. 
The hope of the privations being temporary, gave courage to 
bear up against them: but now'the future has nothing to invi- 
gorate exertion, or inspire fortitude. Numbers are daily forced 
into the ranks of pauperism against their will. Industrious ha- 
bits are destroyed, and with them that providence and fore-_ 
thought which is the basis of the happiness and respectability of 
the working classes. In order not only to continue’ in employ- 
ment the usual hands, but to extend it to the employing of others, 
at a season when the active labours of the year are nearly closed, 
I determined on undertaking the re-drainage of Walriggs, a field 
of eighty acres, which had been drained about 18 years before, 
in a manner then considered to be effectual. 
The main-drains, as far as they go, were well done, and these 
have been made available in many instances in the present 
drainage. They all run into the ditches which surround the 
whole, from which there is.a considerable fall on every side of 
the field. The collateral drains were only twenty inches deep, 
set with three stones, in the form of a triangle, having about 
eight inches of cover upon the top. A drain of 20 inches was 
then thought to be sufficient, and all that was aimed at, was 
to cut off the springs, no regard being paid to carry off the rain- 
water, which is so injurious to clay land. 
Subsequent experience has shown that, in most instances, the 
stratum which helds the water is at so great a depth, as to be 
below the bottom of such shallow eee ae that to do the work 
effectually, the drain must reach the stratum where the wet rests. 
The importance of deep ploughing was not heretofore known, 
or provided for. 
Five years ago this field was deep ploughed; it had been fore- 
seen, that in. many instances the plough was likely to come in 
contact with the head of the drains: this did happen, and the 
consequence has been to render the land as wet, or nearly so, as 
it was before any thing was done to it. 
Fifty out of the eighty acres were greatly injured by water. 
The annexed plan will point out the manner in which the work 
has been exeeuted. It was commenced in November, and was 
finished the second week in January. 
The cutting was let, as it requires practice to keep the drain 
the exact width. Bad hands are apt to increase the dimensions, 
and thereby greatly augment the expense of filling, which is the 
expensive part of draining. . Gathering and getting stones was 
done by the day, and employ ed a number of women and children, 
besides the persons occupied in the quarries, which were for- 
tunately near at hand. The depth of the. drains is from 3} feet 
to 
