THE DRAINAGE OF FARMS. 93 



upon its side, will not empty itself so soon as one which is in a 

 direct line down it, and that the water in such a drain is not 

 likely to be wholly emptied by the mouth of the drain j but some 

 of it will find its way through the side of the drain, as it flows 

 on. and, instead of serving to drain, do something towards 

 keeping the land below it wet. In making drains on a side hill, 

 which empty into a main drain, though it is important always 

 to make them straight, it would not be advisable, or even pos 

 sible, to make them parallel ; but, following the formation of the 

 ground, they may, as it were, radiate from the top, and reach the 

 main at the nearest point. This plan I saw adopted on one of 

 the best-managed farms which has ever fallen under my obser 

 vation that of Mr. Stirling, near Falkirk, in Scotland. 



Mr. Smith refers to two very important advantages in having 

 the drains made in a direct line down the steep ; that it is a 

 security against the lodgment of any sand or mud in the drain, 

 and that, in case of any obstruction presenting itself in the drain, 

 the water will, by its downward pressure, force itself through, or, 

 bursting out upon the surface, from its accumulation, indicate at 

 once the seat of the difficulty. &quot; Cross drains, having little 

 declivity, are often filled high up with water, before the insid 

 ious cause of mischief is discovered.&quot; Arguments for the con 

 struction of drains straight down the hill, instead of passing 

 round or across it, are often referred to, from the geological struc 

 ture of the ground; but this varies so much in different situations, 

 that such arguments can have only a limited application. There 

 are cases in which the existence of some spring between the 

 drains may require to be led into one of the parallel drains ; but. 

 in general, the water, under such circumstances, will find its own 

 way ; where this is not the case, however, a short cut or branch 

 down the incline may bring the water from the spring directly 

 into the side of one of the parallel drains. The tendency of 

 water to force its way along by its own gravity, and its extreme 

 mobility, must be obvious to every one. That which is nearest 

 the drain being first drawn oif, the neighboring portion imme 

 diately takes the emptied place, and is forced onwards, and so on, 

 gathering accessions continually, beyond any limits which we 

 can affix to it. A well, sunk to a more than ordinary depth, will 

 often affect all the other wells in a very extensive neighborhood. 



Such are the general and most important principles laid down 



