324 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



aniination of the ground ; and by applying the 

 spiiV-Ievel, where it is not apparent to the eye, the 

 lowest and proper side (or the drain, is thus readi- 

 ly ibuiid. If the water issuing from the sand- 

 baiiks, has been observed to flow in dry seasons, 

 at one side, and not at the others, it is a proof of 

 that, being the lowest, and consequently the proper 

 liiii^ for the drain. By cutting it in this direction, 

 the water will be prevented from afterwards rising 

 tu the height of the upper outlets, even in the wet- 



test seasons. In many cases, in ground of thi^ 

 description, the whole water tiiat causes the wet- 

 ness may proceed from the upper springs passing 

 over the upper soil, and //troi/g/i the different sand- 

 beds, being prevented from descending lower than 

 the retaining bed of clay. In this case, the drain- 

 age of the whole field, may be accomplished with 

 less difficulty and expense, than in the former; as 

 the upper drain from A to B, in plate No. III. will 

 intercept and carry off the principal springs, and 



Drainimg of mixed soils, 



Plate III. 



JF.'>. 1. Horizontal Plan. 

 A B f )<'pp covered drain to cut off 



ti;f principal springs. 

 G G G Dry ground, 

 n o o Fprings. 

 H H H Vlie dividing line between 



wet ar.d dry ground. 

 K K Snndbed. 

 1 1 I I iJrv Surface. 

 L L L L Wet swampy land. 

 M Oiitl! t of diain. 

 N .\ IJiicli. 

 C C, D D, E E, F F, Branch 



drains emptying into the main 



drain D M. 



Fig. 2. Sedion. 



p I Drain (A Li in lig. 1 ) 



c d Drain (C D in Fig. 1.) 



e / Drain (E F in Fig. 1.) 



g Ijry ground. 



A Porous strata. 



i Upper poil, partly porous— wet 



and rushy. 

 k Smid bed through which the 



water of the principal spring 



passes. 

 I Wet and rushy ground. 

 fi^ Sand bank. 

 n Wet and rushy. 

 ol o2 o3 Springs. 

 pp ji Ketaining bed of clay. 



render the lower drains C, D, and E, F unneces- 

 Bary, unless merely to extract the partial supply of 

 water, which the lower sand-beds may imbibe in 

 time of rain, and which, if they be of small ex- 

 tent, can do little injury to the adjomipg surface. 

 From thisitappears, that the line of one spring, 

 in tlie highest tract of the ground, may be the sole 

 cause of injuring a considerable part below, from 

 its water overflowing tlie surlaceat one place, and 

 enbsiding under it at another, according to the te- 

 nacity or openness of the soil ; and therefore, in 

 euch cases, the upper spring or li^eder should be 

 first cut off, and the effect of' that seen, before any 

 more drains are made in the low ground. See 

 Bection of plate No. III. Besides the soils corres- 

 ponding to this description, there are others of 

 nearly a similar nature, but each bed being of 

 ltt~p extent, and lying more regularly together, 

 ihej' may be drained with less cutting and ex- 

 pense. Under the beds of sand and clay that thus 



lie alternately together, and almost parallel to one 

 another, is a general body of impervious clay, that 

 keeps up the water in the sand always so full, aa 

 to moisten, and in wet seasons overflow, the sur- 

 face of the adjoining clay. This general substra- 

 tum being seldom more than four or five feet be- 

 low the surface, a drain cut to that depth through 

 the middle of the field, (if it has a descent towards 

 it from both sides,) will lay it dry ; but if the 

 ground declines to one side, the drain must be cut 

 there, where the water will more easily discharge 

 itself into it ; and unless the field is of considera- 

 ble extent, and has several hollows in it, one drain 

 will answer the purpose effectually ; for, by cross- 

 ing all the beds that hold the water, it will draw it 

 from each. See plate No. IV. Fig. 1. The dif- 

 ficulty, however, of draining land of this descrip- 

 tion, is, when the alternate beds of clay and sand 

 lie in a direction across the declivity of the field: 

 one drain, in this case can have no other effect 



