DRAINAGE. 77 



and one spade's graft beneath, how deep soever it be, if 

 thou wilt drajne thy land to purpose. I am forced to use 

 repetitions of some things, because of the sutablenesse of the 

 things to which they are apply ed, as also because of the 

 slownesse of peoples apprehensions of them, as appears by 

 the non-practise of them, the which wherever you see 

 drayning and trenching you shall rarely finde few or none of 

 them wrought to the bottome." " But for these common 

 and many trenches, ofttimes crooked too, that men usually 

 make in their boggy grounds, some one foot, some two, I 

 say away with them as a great piece of folly, lost labor and 

 spoyl, which I desire to preserve the reader from."* 



Equally sagacious are the directions about outfalls " to 

 take thy water clearly from thy drayne." On the subject 

 of straightening tortuous and sluggish watercourses, this 

 man of the Commonwealth was in advance not only of his 

 own day but of ours : 



" A straight water-course cut a considerable depth in a 

 thousand parts of this nation would be more advantageous 

 than we are aware of. And though many persons are in- 

 terested therein, and some will agree, others will oppose ; 

 one creek lyeth on one side of the river in one lord's 

 manor, and another lyeth on the other side : why may not 

 one neighbour change with another when both are gainers ? 

 I dare say thousands of acres of very rich land may 

 thereby be gained, and possibly as many more much 

 amended that are almost destroyed." 



And he proposes a law which shall give facilities for this 

 improvement, and shall protect all interests. Having dis- 

 coursed to the Lord General on seven prejudices to land, 



* In the materials for forming the conduit in a covered drain, no 

 advance seems to have been made from the time of Cato to that of 

 Walter Blith. Cato says, " Sulcos lapide consternito. Si lapis non erit, 

 perticis saligneis viridibus quoquoversus collatis consternito. Si pertica 

 non erit, sarmentis colligatis." Blith's directions are: " Thou must take 

 good green faggots, willow, alder, elme, or thorne, and lay it in the 

 bottome of thy works; or rather, take great pibblestones or flintstones." 



