32 SOME DEW-PONDS IN DORSET. 



January 24th an inch was measured. It is not recorded 

 what was the principle on which the bottom of this pond 

 was laid, or if there were any overhanging trees. 



Attempts have been made from time to time to measure 

 dew falls, and Mr. G. Dines, in a paper " On Dew, Mist, and 

 Fog," gave the average of dew fall during the year at T397 

 inches, or on the grass alone at somewhat less, namely, T022 

 inches. He says : " Making a liberal allowance for con- 

 tingencies it may, I think, be fairly assumed that the average 

 deposit of dew on the surface of the earth falls short of 1'5 

 inches." This, if correct, completely overthrows the theory, 

 advanced by some, of the " Neolithic Dew-Pond." 



From the foregoing I think it may be gathered that rain, 

 dew, mist, and fog each contribute largely to the filling of 

 ponds placed at high altitudes, and doubtless Neolithic man 

 was fully aware of this, and so placed his ponds on these 

 Dorset Downs near his camps, that they might get the full 

 advantage of the rains, mist, and fog driven inland from the 

 sea by the south-westerly breezes. 



Be this as it may, the present generation have no longer 

 the same need of these ponds. Modern machinery and 

 modern plant have enabled us to carry water from the 

 springs in our valleys to the top of our hills and on to our 

 elevated plains, from whence it commands our pastures 

 and waters our flocks and herds. 



Within 20 yards of Dew-pond No. 2 on Grimstone Down, 

 above described, now stands, some 550 feet above sea level, 

 a cypress wood reservoir capable of containing 10,000 gallons 

 of water, filled, by means of a pump driven by a wind engine, 

 from a copious spring in the valley below, from whence the 

 cattle and sheep on the three surrounding farms are plenti- 

 fully supplied with water, run through galvanised iron pipes 

 into drinking tanks, by gravitation, from the store reservoir, 

 any surplus being made use of for irrigating purposes. A 

 similar means of supply may be found on the adjoining 

 estate of Godmanstone, on Clan Down, in the parish of 

 Winterborne St. Martin, and on Maiden Castle, with galvanised 



