1SS7] 



F A li M E R S' R E (i I S T E R. 



4SS 



F'tg. 1. IForlzonlal plan. 



r~r^%^^^rmm 







Il^i^- 



Fig. 2. Perpendicidar section. 



eiiiiiij: water-r.ourses if, in not giving the. new chan- 

 nel sutficient dimensions, whereby the water is 

 forceJ over its banks into its forn)er course; and in 

 not giving the sides sufficient slope, whereby the 

 banks are undermined — larire pieces tumble down 

 and occupy a portion of the bed of the river, 

 whereby a current is excited between it and the 

 bank, which, in a very short time, widens the 

 breach and forms a new channel. 



To give particular directions for forming the 

 slopes of river banks, depends on the nature of the 

 poil it 2oes through ; however, I have generally 

 found from one and a half to two feet on each side, 

 for every loot in depth, to be suffiL-ient. I have al- 

 ways found the greater the slope the better; and 

 for want of this precaution, many a valuable un- 

 dertakintr has been completely destroyed. 



We even find, where some little attention has 

 been paid, the method used to obviate the evil lias 

 been more injurious to the preservation of the 

 banks than of service, for instead oi'smo'ithing the 

 inequalities of the banks to letthe water puss with 

 the least friction, we often find a quantity of stakes 

 driven into the sides of the river with their heads 

 several feet above the surface of the lowest water- 

 mark; the consequence is, at floods they collect 

 weeds, slicks, &c., whereby the water is penned 

 up, thereby mnking a fall, which scoo|)s out a hole 

 in the side of the slope immediately below, and, 

 in many instances, forais a current between the 

 stakes and the solid bank, which, in a few flootis, 

 has so widened itself, that we often see the remains 

 of the stakes standing in the middle of the bed 

 of the river. It is true, there are cases where stakes 

 are unavoidable, either from the softness of the bot- 

 tom or want of other materials; but, in such cases, 

 the greatest care should be taken to drive their 

 heads down to the level of the lowest water- 

 mark. 



In soft soils, after havino; given the sides of a 

 new water-channel the desired slope, I have gen- 

 erally found (^if the operations have been done ear- 

 ly in the spring) a covering of good turfto be one 

 of the best protections against, the agitation of wa- 

 Vol. V— 55 



ter, especially if the turf has been taken from a 

 place aboundinir with rushes, and gets time lo 

 grow together before the floods come — it is then 

 almost impregnable. 



In particular parts, as at sharp bends, where ordi- 

 nary sward or pasturable turf is notable to prevent 

 the current from breakinir up the soil, the whole an- 

 gle of the slope should be removed, and the space 

 filled with small stones, (^ee fig. 2.) In situa- 

 tions where stones cannot be procured, ribgrass and 

 the, biuterf)ur (^tussHago petasiies) are singularly 

 well adapted for the protection of river banks. On 

 examinintj into Nature's practice in protecting the 

 sides of river banks, we find it carried on with the 

 best effiscts by those plants. When they gain 

 possession of a river bank, barely above the level 

 of low water, and, of course, exposed to every 

 rise and fall of the water, it becomes, in manv in- 

 stances, at least, as securely sheltered from the ef- 

 f^^cts of the current as if it were cased with stone. 

 They appear to be singularly proper to he cultivat- 

 ed on the lower margins of grassy slopes — a sit- 

 uation in which they seem to de!io;ht. 



Toiiliistratethis suliject, let us suppose the river <f 

 d (fig. l.)to l>e the boundary line between the pro- 

 prieiore A and B, and the land and mill F belonginor 

 to a third propriptor, who has a privilege to a dam 

 across the river Ff b. A and 15 are desirous to iin- 

 prove the botr^y land lying bet\\'een the risinc 

 ground and the river; but beflire that can be con- 

 veniently done, it vvill be necessary tost raio'hten the 

 water-course it-omthe inill-dani/to/i, a distance of 

 a mile. 



In straightening the river so as tomake the new 

 channel the hoinidary line between the propertieji, 

 a small bend will be required at g; and as the 

 liillfromg-to the top of the mill-dam/ is otily 

 f)ur feet, it is evident that the descent is insuffi- 

 cient lor drainiriir the ground without the assis- 

 ttmce of embankn)ents on ei\ch side of the riverto 

 protect the adjacent land from the injurious effects 

 of unrestrained floods. The fall from the bend g 

 being only four feet, and the water at high flooda 

 being known to rise nearly the same height abuva 



