118 AGRICULTURE. 



know, I say, as well to what depth that land is drained as 

 if I had seen or done it myself. I look upon it, and I wish 

 you to view it in the same light, that when you are putting 

 in shallow drains you are incurring a dead loss; and I 

 would urge you to examine the difference between the 

 effect of the two systems, for nothing can be more striking 

 than the contrast presented by land under deep and shallow 

 draining. I have seen this exemplified on the estates of 

 two friends of mine, the Duke of Northumberland and the 

 Duke of Bedford, two noblemen of very opposite opinions, 

 and each residing in different parts of the country, but 

 both most energetic in endeavouring to improve their 

 lands. The Duke of Bedford, although his predecessor 

 laid out large sums of money in shallow draining, has now 

 entirely discarded the system. In fact, deep draining is 

 the only system that can with a certainty of success be 

 adopted ; and I would advise you, gentlemen, before you 

 lay out money upon what is called shallow draining espe- 

 cially as capital is not yet cheap, and you would still have 

 to pay more than 3J per cent, for it to consult and ex- 

 amine those lands that have been subjected to the other 

 system. In particular soils, no doubt, you may drain a 

 little too wide, and you will have to rectify the evil, as it 

 is called, afterwards ; but as to the depth of the drain, there 

 can be no dispute. It was only the other day I received 

 a report from a tenant on a farm of my own near White- 

 haven, which was as wet a place as could be conceived, 

 and I believe the land was rather looked upon with dismay 

 by the farmer when he saw it cut and hacked about in that 

 fashion; but this year he has reaped the benefits of deep 

 draining, and he reports to me that while the occupiers of 

 the adjoining farms formerly always secured their crops 

 before him, he now gets his in before any of them, and 

 his harvest this year has come three weeks earlier than 

 usual. Such has been my experience on this important 

 subject." 



Space forbids our taking more than a passing notice of 



