114 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



from permanent springs, they must either be cut off or led away 

 by a drain which shall directly reach them. There are very 

 few lands which would not be benefited by draining. Wherever 

 a spot is discovered in a field, where the water is accustomed 

 to lodge, or which, from the coarseness or character of the 

 herbage growing upon it, indicates the presence of water, we 

 may feel sure that there the operations of draining are required. 

 In the next place, it is desirable that the wetness arising from 

 rain should be removed as soon as practicable. All the advan 

 tage which plants derive from rain are obtained from its imme 

 diate passage through the soil. Whenever its passage is arrested, 

 and the water becomes stagnant, its presence is injurious, except 

 ing to plants which are, like rice, for example, of an aquatic, or, 

 as it may be termed, an amphibious character. 



That soils of a light and sandy character are benefited by 

 draining, I have had the fullest demonstration, and shall pres 

 ently show. That soils of a most retentive and adhesive char 

 acter have been greatly improved by it, seems to be established 

 in many cases, though there are instances of failure in this 

 respect ; and an intelligent and spirited agriculturist in York 

 shire, with whom I have the pleasure of an acquaintance, has 

 proposed that, analytical experiments should be made, to deter 

 mine what proportion of aluminous matter in a soil should dis 

 courage any attempts at improvement, by draining and subsoil- 

 ing. Perfect success has followed the operation where the 

 amount of clay or alumine has been as great as 24 per cent. ; 

 and failures have occurred, where the proportion has been 43 

 per cent., which induces the conclusion with him, that the 

 boundary must lie somewhere between these two points. This, 

 he thinks, experiment alone can decide. It must not be over 

 looked, however, that other circumstances besides the actual 

 composition of the soil, may have affected the results. Mr. 

 Hammond, before quoted, has been successful in draining heavy 

 and adhesive soils, where, after the drains have been opened, and 

 the pipes laid and but slightly covered, the frost has had an 

 opportunity of operating upon the land, and occasioned fissures, 

 which have been converted into permanent pores or channels for 

 the water falling upon such land to reach the drains. There is 

 always some encouragement in the simple fact, that one drop of 

 water is sure, in its natural course, to follow another. There arc, 



