32 



a new plan, which as it has answered the object he had in 

 view, it is necessary to explain, and which may be ap 

 plied indeed to wet soils in general, whether the ridges 

 are straight or crooked. 



Mr Andrew states, that the ridges on his farm had for- 

 merly been broad, and much raised*. His predecessor 

 had levelled them by the plough, and when he entered 

 into the farm, almost all the good earth had been thrown 

 into the old furrows, and completely drowned, the crowns 

 of the old ridges were at the same time so much stript 

 of soil, that they were scarcely fit to carry any thing. 

 It was absolutely necessary, however, to do something 

 to bring the ground into a better state. As it lay on a 

 gentle slope, cross draining was attempted, but ineffec- 

 tually. He had then resolved to gather up the ground 

 to the old ridges, by as many ploughings as might be ne- 

 cessary to raise them nearly to their former height, and 

 to throw a drain into every furrw, thus designing, by one 

 operation, to dry the ground, to equalize the soil, and to 

 give it a fallow. When these operations were completed, 

 he gathered up a small ridge into the furrows above 

 the drains, to protect them from the surface water. 

 The following sketch will give some idea of the nature 

 of this operation : 



Ridge. | D | Ridge. | D I Ridge. | D | Ridge. | Q | 



There is reason to believe, that when waste lands are 

 first brought into a state of cultivation, the ridges should be 

 very broad and high until the soil is condensed) for at first it 

 is generally of a soft and spongy nature. 



