e98 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 1 



and passing through and under the surface, part 

 of it is absorbed by the dry ground, along the side 

 B B; from whence, if the level was not previous- 

 ly ascertained, it might be supposed also to pro- 

 ceed. In this case one drain, cut along the upper 

 eide A A, will be sufficient to keep it dry; but il 

 there is a descent from both sides to the middle, or 

 the ground be perfectly level, it will require a 

 drain on both; and, if the substrata in which the 

 water lies, is connected with the higher ground on 

 both sides, and unites below, one drain in the mid- 

 dle, cut to the depth of that strata, or bored down 

 to it, will be sufficient, as represented in the plan 

 and section No. X. Where the expanse of the 

 valley, or distance betwixt hills or high ground 

 along the sides is narrow, this will certainly be the 

 case. But, if a bog of this nature, between two 

 hills, is of great extent, it may be requisite to 

 have three different drains, one on each side, and 

 one in the middle; the last should be an open 

 drain, to receive all the surface water, as well as 

 to cut off any springs that may rise in that part of 

 the bog. In this, as in all other cases, where 

 there is any difficulty of ascertaining the substra- 

 ta, and from whence the springs proceed, the 

 auger may be previously applied. 



In very extensive bogs or swamps, it is neces- 

 sary to have other cuts, than those which carry 

 ofi" the principal springs; for, although these may 

 be effectually cut off, there may be interior veins* 

 of sand and gravel, out of which, it is also neces- 

 Bary to extract the water. If the ground is to be 

 divided into separate inclosures, the open ditches 

 may be so directed, as to hit on these lesser collec- 

 tions of subjacent water, and, at the same time, to 

 earry off any that might stagnate in the hollow 

 parts of the surface. It frequently occurs, where 

 a hill or rising ground has wetness on both sides, 

 apparently on the same level, that a drain proper- 

 ly conducted on the one side, may remove the 

 wetness fi-om the other. If the resisting stratum 

 lies horizontally through the hill or bank, the sur- 

 face below that, will be wet and rushy on both 

 sides, the upper line of which, will be fi)und vary- 

 ing very little from a level all the way round; and 

 here, a drain, on either side, giving a lower and 

 readier vent to the water than its natural outlets, 

 may make both sides dry. If the resisting stra- 

 tum dips, or inclines more to the one side than to 

 the other, the springs will issue only at the lower 

 side, where that stratum terminates; consequent- 

 ly, the one side of the hill will be wet, and the 

 other dry. The rushes, alders, and other aquat- 

 ics, facilitate invesriijations of this kind; (or they 

 never appear above the line of the springs, except 

 in cases, where the water flows back for want of 

 outlet, when the sprinirs are very lull; but in cases 

 where more minute observation is requisite, such 

 appearances cannot altogether be depended on. 



in many cases, it may be known whether the 

 channel of the water, (i-om which the springs are 

 supplied, lies deep, or not, by their appearance on 

 the surface. If the land be dry, immediately 

 above the place where the water spritifjs up, it is a 

 sign that the channel or reservoir lies deep, and 

 that the water is issuintr perpendicularly; but, on 

 the contrary, if the land he wet for some distance 

 above the principal outlet of the sprinc, it is a 

 sure indication ihat (he water is flowing in achan- 



• Very thin, or narrow strata. 



nel near the surface, and that it is the overflowing 

 of it which causes this higher wetness. It would 

 be a certain evidence of this, if there be only one 

 spring in the wet ground; but, if the internal 

 strata do not he horizontally, or regular, and sev- 

 eral springs appear, arising from different chan- 

 nels, the land above the largest, or principal 

 spring, may be wet, not fi-om the flowing back of 

 that spring, or its channel being near the surface, 

 but by the breaking out of lesser sprin^^s, in their 

 descent, finding a vent to the surface, higher than 

 that of the larger spring. It is in cases of this 

 kind, where draining is attended with most diffi- 

 culty; and where all the cutting, &c. necessary, 

 cannot be easily ascertained at first, till what is 

 absolutely requisite be executed, whch will lead to 

 a discovery of what more may be requisite, and in 

 what manner it can best be done, by exposing to 

 view, the subsoil or strata in which the water 

 flows. Making exploratory bores with the auger, 

 is useful in this, and in all other doubtful or diffi- 

 cult cases. 



In irregular wet banks, where the ground, 

 owing to its perpendicular situation, and pressure 

 of water behind, has slipt or fallen down, the 

 drain should be carried hiijher up the declivity, 

 than where the water has iis apparent outlet. 

 The proper line for ii, therelbre, is, in the sound 

 unbroken ground that has undergone no change, 

 and where the real spring will be intercepted; the 

 water in the slipt or shifted sand below, being on- 

 ly a leakage from the sprinii above, which, from its 

 appearance, is apt to he mistaken for the spring 

 itself, and thereby mislead in directinij the drain. 



Where the principal spring comes out of a very- 

 steep bank, at a considerable height above the 

 level of the outlet where the water is to be dis- 

 charged, it is unnecessary to cut a deep trench, or 

 lay a covered drain, all the way fi-om such outlet, 

 up to it; fbr the descent being rapid, and the cut 

 deep, by crossing veins of sand, and other loose 

 substances, always met wi'h in such situations, 

 the stones or materials with which the drain may 

 be laid, would be undermined oy the quickness of 

 the current, and might be choked by the quantity 

 of running sand, which the water carries along 

 with it. 



It is only necessary, in such cases, to begin aa 

 far down the bank, as, by cutting forward upon a 

 level, the drain may be six feet deep, when it 

 comes to the spring, or whatever depth is necessa- 

 ry, for the cross-drain that is to be cut along that 

 line. The remaining part of the cut, which is 

 merely a conductor for the water, either in a 

 straight or sloping direction, may be either open, 

 or covered, as circumstances requiie; but there is 

 no necessity fbr its being so deef) as the upper 

 drain, nor is there occasion for boring in any part 

 of it. It should be guarded from the treading and 

 poaching of cattle when the ground is in pasture, 

 and from injury by the plousrh when in tillage. 

 See figures 1 and 2, plate No. XI. Where there 

 is any difficulty in ascertaining the true line of the 

 spring, and consequently that of the cross-drain, 

 either fi-om its not showing itself on the surface, or 

 having no apparent outlet from whence to trace 

 the level, this line may be discovered, in bringing 

 up the conducting drain, in which, as soon as the 

 water begins lo rise freely, fi-om that point is the 

 proper place to branch off the cross-drain, and 

 upon that level, to carry it as far as the wetness 



