AGRICULTURE. 



culable advantage ; and to the efforts of 

 these and other individuals it may be 

 ascribed, that a board of agriculture \\ us 

 established by the government in 1793, 

 whose exertions in procuring and pub- 

 lishing intelligence on the objects of its 

 establishment have entitled it to the high- 

 est credit. Hy its agricultural surveys, by 

 its diffusion of rewards for important dis- 

 coveries, and of premiums for valuable 

 treatises; and by its exertions at critical 

 periods of scarcity, its utility and merit 

 may be considered not only as decided, 

 but distinguished. It has the power of 

 directing public attention to any topics 

 particularly requiring practical research 

 or illustration, and possesses the means of 

 most advantageously diffusing its collec- 

 tions, circumstances of high importance 

 to the utility of the establishment. It 

 must be regarded as its privilege, as well 

 as duty, to suggest, from time to time, to 

 the legislature, means for removing va- 

 rious impediments, still existing, to the 

 perfection of the art, for the promotion of 

 which it is expressly instituted. 



Oil Inclosing' anil Draining. 



Inclosing of lands must be considered 

 as the grand foundation of all improve- 

 ni'-nts. ffheh remaining open, litigations 

 a neighbours arv perpetually oc- 

 curring, and the ingenuity of any indi- 

 etor is of li'tle use to him, 

 ' iged to follow the pi 



>nt and obstinate 



occupier-- of die common property in 



iu Glares. In connection with 



HI-; deredthe practice 



v.-Ircii is the next step 



them productive. The su- 



\vati-r is no less injuri- 



solute want 



> 'u-the- arising from rain 



surface-, or from springs 



in or <>f the .-arth, it is OIK- of 



c s of the farmer 



s permcio is consequences. 



l-'oiMhis purpose, open or visible drains 



are :IIP,:MIV i-rivs adopted ; while mothers, 



hollow ones, so called from their being 



concealed in covered trenches, are pre- 



The width and depth of open 



drains must lv regulated by the variety 



of soil and s>- lation to which they are 



applied. To prevent, however, the sides 



from falling in they must at top be three 



times the width they have at bottom ; 



while their dip ction must obviouslv, and 



of necessity, be descending, it suo ild, at 



the same tijne, not be steep, as this would 



form inequalities, and bear down their 

 sides by the r^pid rush of the water. All 

 open drains should be cleared, at least, 

 once in every year; which regular re- 

 pairs may, in some cases, render them in 

 the end more expensive than those de- 

 nominated hollow, which will soinetmv s 

 last for several generations unimpaired, 

 but demand originally a far greater sum 

 for their completion. 



The practice of hollow draining was 

 known by the Roman writers on agricul- 

 ture, and is particularly mentioned by 

 them. In stiff clays it is of little service, 

 and it is practised with desired effect 

 only where the soil is of that porous sub- 

 stance, which easily admits the passage 

 of the water through it Opinions dirtier 

 with regard to the season for carrying 

 these works into execution ; some, with, 

 plausible reason, preferring the summer, 

 and others, having nearly as much to 

 state in recommendation of winter for the 

 purpose. The depth of the drain, from 

 the surface of the land, should generally 

 be from twenty-six inches to thirty-two; 

 and the principal rule for their depth is, 

 that they should be secured from receiv- 

 ing injury from the feet of horses or cat- 

 tle ploughing on the spot under which 

 they are made. It is desirable to consti- 

 tute the drain in such a manner that the 

 stones may lean towards each other, so as 

 to form a triangle, of which the bottom of 

 the drain forms the base : in which case, 

 the width of a foot may be regarded as 

 sufficient for them. The ditches con- 

 structed for these drains must be execut- 

 ed with great neatness and care ; ami 

 with respect to filling them up, which 

 they should be about ten inches deep, if 

 stones are plentifully at hand, they should 

 be applied tor this purpose But in manv 

 places, faggot-wood, horns, bones. - 

 fern, and even turf, laid in like a wedge, 

 are all used in different situations ; and 

 drains constructed of these ma' 

 thirty years ago, are found in - 

 places effectually to answer their purpose 

 still. By many persons, straw, ' 

 into a very large rope, has been Ml 

 fully laid in the bottom of the ditch : an< : 

 by others, after twenty years experience, 

 the white thorn luis been recommended 

 as answering better than all other 

 rials. 



Injurious moistutr in land arises often 

 from springs in the bowels of tin- earth. 

 The pel-son who iirst published tiir me- 

 thod of draining land, in these circuni- 

 . \\ as Dr. John Anderson, of Aber- 

 deen, while Mr. filkington was actually 



