1S37] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



617 



])ropeily drainoil, every exeriion of ffood hiis- 

 L)a;iiliy"is attciuled with succeps ; and the farmer 

 thrives where liis predecesifior was ruined! 



Arable laud is fit. lor tillaiie earlier in spring, and 

 later ill autumn; it is easier nianaged, and kept 

 clean at less expense, than when chilled with 

 water, and only in very dry seasons accessible tu 

 the plough. Its effects on jjrass land are no less 

 remarkable. By draininrr alone, it is wonderful 

 to see the verdure that soon takes place; and it is 

 worthy of remark, that a bog of the worst, kind, 

 after being thoroughly laid dry (without any other 

 melioration whatever,) will spontaneously i)foduce 

 so many new and fine grasses, the seeds and roots 

 of which have hitherto lain dormant owing to 

 superfluous moisture; but now spring forth, and 

 afiervvards continue to flourish and increase I The 

 rushes, that formerly occupied the whole surface, 

 soon ilecline, anil better grasses rise in abundance. 

 The advantages also of draining the boiJ-s, mosses, 

 and other tracts of swampy ground which are met 

 with in so many even of the fertile districts of the 

 country, are of great importance in other respects. 

 Besides the benefit that is actually derived from 

 the drainage of such land that is afterwards con- 

 verted into a state of cultivation, a great deal might 

 be done in contributing to the im|)rovement of the 

 cliaiate and surrounding soils of the districts in 

 which they are situated. By large open drains, 

 these pestilential morasses might be freed of stag- 

 nant water, the extraction of which would not 

 onlv render them dry, and productive of better 

 herbage; but would afford an acquisition to many 

 streams that have a scanty suppl}^ of water for 

 various kinds of machinery that are, or might be, 

 erected upon them. For inland navigation, too, a 

 more abundant and permanent supply might be 

 procured b}' this means. 



The great extent of these bogs or mosses, many 

 of their boundaries and divisions ill defined or dis- 

 puted, and the want of co-operation among the 

 several proprietors, prevent individuals, who have 

 both the spirit and the means, fiom engaging in so 

 troublesome, but otherwise not expensive under- 

 taking; for one main drain, properly conducted, 

 would lay dry a very great extent of such ground. 



This is a branch of the subject that would not 

 he unworthy the consideration of the legislature,* 

 and well deserves ihe attention of the society 

 above mentioned, as will be further noticed in the 

 sequel. 



Trees grow readily in such low situations, when 

 the noxious water is removed, and would in time 

 yield profit, where the cultivation of corn or pas- 

 ture would be more hazardous. In grazmg coun- 

 tries, the benefit of this would be much felt in 

 meliorating the condition of stock, by the shelter 

 which such plantations afford. It is perhaps a 

 longer period to look forward to, than may arrive 

 within the lifetime of the person who plants ; but 

 it is a certain fact, that tracts of moorish and 



The merits of fiorin gra.ss (agra^Hs slohmifera') 

 being now so well known, is an additional induce- 

 ment to the drainage of even the most steril kmds 

 of moss and moorish soils ; lor ni these it thrives 

 better than any other species of grass, and is 

 known to yield a very al)undanl and profitable 

 return. 



Tlie draining of one large tract of land may fur- 

 nish water for the acconnnodation of another; 

 which, il' collected in sufficient quantities, may be 

 converted to its imf)rovement liy irrigation. By 

 the same means, a more abundant and regular 

 sup|)ly of water may be obtained for mills and 

 other machinery ; Cor sup[)lying houses, jionds, 

 inclosures, &c. Drainage may also be ai)plied 

 with great advantage in the case of mines and 

 quarries, by diminishing the, quantity of water 

 fbimd in them, both by cutting ofi' the resources 

 above, and by letting down that which often im- 

 pedes and obstructs their woi'kings, into more po- 

 rous strata below. In short, the benefits that result 

 from a general and conqilete system of draining, to 

 the agricultural and general improvement of this 

 country, are so many, that the i'ew instances in 

 which they are neither seen nor acknov»'ledged, 

 can only proceed fi'om prejudice, or fiom invincible 

 obstinacy and blindness ! 



SECTION II. 



On the principles of draining, both of surface- 

 water, and of that proceeding from springs. 



There is no desideratum in agriculture of more 

 importance, than a knowledge of the principles on 

 which the draining of land depends; for without 

 that knowledge, the practice must not only be 

 limited, but often fail, where it would otherwise 

 succeed. It is remarkable, therefore, that those 

 principles should have hitherto been so fiitle 

 known or attended to, when improvements in the 

 other branches of husbandry have been brought to 

 the greatest degree of perfection. However intri- 

 cate these principles may have been considered 

 by unthinking agriculturists, they are founded on 

 circum.siances easily comprehended by an intelli- 

 gent mind, and naturally point out that mode of 

 practice, the success of which, their knowledge 

 cannot fail to secure. To proceed with certainty 

 in the art of draining, it is necessary to ascertain 

 the causes which produce that wetness in land, of 

 the different appearances, which, acccording to 

 soil and situation, it assumes. It proceeds either 

 ii-om rain-water stagnating on the surface, where 

 that is impervious, and has no descent ; or from 

 the water of springs issuing over, or confined 

 under it. On clay soils, wetness is commonly 

 produced by the first of these causes, but in a varie- 

 ty of cases ir proceeds from the latter. 



A knowledge of the causes and nature of springs, 

 therefore, is so closely connected with the princi- 

 ples of draining, that it is necessary in the first 



swampy ground, planted when but imperfectly i place to explain these, in order to enable the prac 

 drained; have been ("when the trees have come to | tical drainer to proceed with success ; for, when 



maturity and were cut down^ converted into good 

 arable land, with the aid of only a slight additional 

 drainage. This, the writer, in several instances, 

 has seen during the course of his employment. 



* Commissioners and surveyors were appointed, and 

 many thousand pounds paid by government, some 

 years ago, for drainage-surveys of the bogs in Ireland. 



the wetness is produced by subjacent water, any 

 number or kind of surface-drains can have no good 

 effect. From the appearance of its surface, and 

 by the internal researches that have been made 

 by subterraneous pits, wells, quarries, and other 

 perforations, the earth is known to be composed 

 of various strata, which being in their nature and 

 quality of opposite consistence, have acquiied the 



