36 EUI10PEAN AC ill CULTURE. 



any country. the bog to be drained, in these cases, being a 

 sort of basin surrounded by hills which were covered with 

 stones, a ditch of considerable width was dug, at the edges of 

 the bog, to a depth of six feet, and filled in with stones of various 

 sizes, gathered from the adjoining fields, to within about thirty 

 inches of the surface, and then the bog earth returned upon the 

 top, and the whole levelled. Thus a double purpose was an 

 swered that of draining the bog, and clearing the neighboring 

 land of unsightly and useless stones. 



With respect to the position of the drains, some reference is 

 to be had to the sources of the water by which the land is 

 drenched. If it be flood- water from the hills, then it would be 

 advisable, as far as practicable, to intercept it by cutting a ditch 

 at the margin of the bog. If it arises from springs, whose source 

 can be ascertained, then it would be desirable to reach these 

 springs directly by a drain into which they might flow. If the 

 springs are too numerous, and cannot be ascertained, then the 

 best judgment must be exercised in laying out the main and the 

 side drains. Here, the side drains emptying into the main drains 

 are recommended to be made with tiles, and I have seen tiles of 

 a very large bore, on the farm of one of the best farmers in Scot 

 land, and that is perhaps as high praise as I can bestow, em 

 ployed for the centre drains into which all the side drains entered. 

 so that the whole work was completely covered in. The bore 

 of these tiles was, I think, about eight inches by six, and consid 

 erable ingenuity was displayed in forming them by a method 

 which I should find it difficult to describe so as to render myself 

 intelligible. They were designed to be used with a sole, and 

 holes were formed for the entrance of the side drains. They 

 presented an example of extremely neat husbandry, and were 

 effectual in relieving the land of a large amount of water. 

 Where a solid substratum, whether of clay or gravel, is reached 

 under the peat, tile may be used for drains without the soles, or 

 the drains may be formed of broken stone, directly upon the 

 hard bottom, as I shall presently describe ; but where the depth 

 of the peat is such that a hard bottom cannot be found, tiles 

 without soles, or drains formed of broken stone, would soon 

 become useless. In the Lincolnshire improvements, open ditches 

 are made so as to include areas of twelve or fifteen acres ; and 

 these, without anv under-drains, are found sufficient for the cb- 



