FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 413 



This method of irrigation is a beautiful and ingenious 

 part of husbandry; and seeing that it has been so success- 

 fully practised in England, it would be desirable that trials 

 of it should be made here; as in many spots it might be 

 found very profitable. 



For raising water to irrigate lands, which are above its 

 level, different kinds ot wheels may be used, which are so 

 well known as to render a description ol them unnecessary. 

 The method of raising water by the force of wind, in the 

 manner it is raised out of the dykes in Holland, may also be 

 resorted to, if it be found that the pn fiis will warrant the 

 expense. The Reader will find, in Darwin's Phitologia, a 

 description of a very cheap wind machine ior raising water, 

 which probably might be in some places applied to advan- 

 tage, but most particularly, in raising water Irom wells, for 

 supplying cattle with drink. 



Water-furrowing lands which are wet, when sown with 

 Summer-grain, is of great importance in carrying off the 

 surplus water; and the furrows should be made deep, and 

 cleared out with a shovel, and carried in such a direction 

 as* will cause the ground to be the least gullied by heavy 

 showers. The same may be said ot grounds sown with 

 Winter-grain ; but wet grounds, particularly it they lie flat, 

 should never be applied to this use ; for, it the ground be 

 ever so well water-furrowed, the furrows usually become so 

 filled with ice as to render them useless. Grounds, how- 

 ever, of moderate descent may be thrown up into high 

 ridges, so as to answer tolerably well, in most Winters, tor 

 winter- grain; but, if they be somewhat steep, this manage- 

 ment usually proves injurious by the washings of heavy rains. 

 Rather let such grounds be hollow-drained, and then neither 

 ridging nor water-furrowing will be necessary. 



With regard to watering of plants, all that is necessary 

 to be said, is, that cold water, as drawn from wells, should 

 never be applied to them. The water should be exposed 

 to the sun for such time as will render it as warm as rain- 

 water; and the quantity applied at once should never be 

 very great; but rather like the application of a gentle rain. 



WATER-CHESNUT. This tree is called Lin-kio in 

 China, where it is cultivated for its fruit, which has a cool- 

 ing and agreeable taste. It is sometimes sold in that Coun- 

 try, like filberts, in a green state ; sometimes it is dried, 

 powdered, and made into soup, or baked, with a proportion 

 of sugar and honey. 



Ail that is necessary, for propagating and raising the tree, 

 is to throw the seeds into the shallowest parts of ponds, and 

 rivers, which have a southern exposure, as such are the 



