THE CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL. 515 



after the plough has opened the furrow, workmen follow with a 

 spade, and take out from the bottom of the furrow large spade 

 fuls of earth, laying them up upon the turned land. Here they 

 remain in lumps until they are reduced to fineness by the warmth 

 and air, and spread themselves upon the soil. They have an 

 opinion that this is equal to a good manuring. The next furrow 

 slice of course falls into these holes, and to some extent there is 

 a complete inversion of the surface-soil. This does not answer, 

 however, where the land is clayey, or strong and adhesive, as, in 

 that case, water would collect and remain in the holes made under 

 the furrow with the spade. The object of the Flemish farmer is 

 to have the ground thoroughly enriched and friable ; and to give, 

 as far as possible, a quick passage for the water which falls upon 

 it, and free admission to the air. 



3. DRAINING. Nothing can surpass the painstaking of the 

 Flemish farmer in the preparation of his soil, as the basis of all 

 his efforts, and that on which he rests his hopes of success. I 

 have already said, that with a view to get rid of surface water, 

 he carefully lays his ground in stitches or beds, narrow or wide, 

 in proportion to the quantity of water, which, from the situation 

 of the land, may require to be disposed of. If the land is made 

 wet by springs, he takes pains to cut off the springs by transverse 

 ditches. These he fills with brush, or wooden boughs, and upon 

 these he lays stones, and then covers with earth, and thus con 

 veys the water into an open side ditch. This is a primitive mode 

 of draining, and not the best which could be chosen ; but after 

 the wood has decayed, the channel being once formed, it is likely 

 to be kept open for a length of time, by the force of the running 

 water. If the wetness of the land proceeds from its low and 

 sunken position, or from springs which cannot be cut off, it 

 becomes necessary then to cut it up by open ditches, which are 

 made at distances varying according to the nature of the land to 

 be drained, and into which the water becomes collected. This 

 takes up a considerable portion of the surface, but the compen 

 sation is found by the dryness and availableness of the other 

 portions, by which method only these could be secured. This 

 is the universal practice upon the polders, and these principal 

 ditches are often of sufficient width to proceed upon in boats, in 



