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FARMERS- REGISTER. 



[No. 12 



Jhe main-sprinffs, tracins their level, and jjuidini? 

 the direction ol' the drain, the next ihina i?, the 

 proper method of" conducting its execution. 



The first point then is, to determine whether 

 the drain should he open or covered, ll" the 

 ground is open, and it would he proper to inclose 

 it, and where the line ol the drain may serve as a 

 division, it may be an open cut, or sunk fence; if 

 not, a covered drain-, hut it is necessary to deter- 

 mine which is to he adopted, as the depth, widiii, 

 and other circumstances, must be reiiulated ac- 

 cordingly. When the nearest outlet at which the 

 water collected in the drain can be discharir«d, is 

 fixed on, from that, a trench is brought up to the 

 line of the cross one that is to be carried along the 

 course of the springs, allowing a genile declivity 

 for the water to run. If, in cutting the cross-drain 

 that is to carry off the sprinizs, after passing the 

 clay, there be a (stratum of hard crravel between 

 that and the sand in which the principal body of 

 water is lodged, the conduit of the drain should 

 be laid on if, as being the most solid; and it should 

 be perforated by the punch, or small pits made 

 through it with the spade, whereby the water 

 may flow up, and run with more safety, than if 

 the dram were laid in the sand bed below, which 

 would not only make it more difficult to execute, 

 but may sometimes be at such a depth, that the le- 

 vel ofthe outlet will not allow thedrain to be cut to it. 



In all other cases, except those of quicksands, 

 where it is very difficult to lay and secure the con- 

 duit of the drain, the most certain method, where 

 the level will admit, and where it does not require 

 an extraordinary de[)th oi' cutting, is to carry the 

 drain down to the stratum containing the water, 

 and lay the conduit there. But where that can- 

 not be obtained at a reasonable depth and ex- 

 pense, the auger must be applied, and the water 

 brought up by that means. 



When the drain is only to act as a conductor 

 for the water brought up by hnring, where the 

 soil is all clay, its depth need not exceed tour feet, 

 which will be sufficient to allow a proper depth ol' 

 earth above the stones forming the conduit at bot- 

 tom, which need not exceed, nor ever should be 

 less than one and a half or two ieet. 



The author has seen a drain, in ground appa- 

 rently very wet on the surface, cut to the depth of 

 lour feet, and several hundred feet inlensrth, with- 

 out any water being found in it; but, when the 

 auger was applied, and holes put down at the dis- 

 tance of six j'ards apart, and to the depth of eight 

 or ten feet, a considerable stream of water was 

 brought up, and which afterwards continued to 

 flow. In one instance,* he directed a drain to be 

 cut in a very close and retentive clay soil, which 

 at the depth of four feet found no water. This 

 gave occasion for the workmen to say, and the 

 proprietor to think, that this drain would aflecthis 

 pocket more than the field; but they were soon 

 sensible of the injustice of such a remark. As 

 the drain had a smooth and uniform slope in the 

 bottom, in order to expedite the work, several 

 men were employed in laying the stones for the 

 conduit, beginning at the lower end and proceed- 

 ing upwards, while others were engaged in boring 

 at the upper end, and were to proceed down- 

 wards. When those below beoran their work, the 

 drain was quite dry, and no appearance of water 



* At Drum, in Aberdeenshire. 



from either sides or bottom; but by the time they 

 had ptoceeded a finv yards in Ibrming the conduit, 

 and two or three holes had been made with the 

 auger, at the upper end, an unexpected rush of 

 water made its appearance, to their no small as- 

 tonishment, convincinu them of the rash opinion 

 they had formed; and which soon had ihe effect 

 of drawing off the xinder-water that produced the 

 rushes and other won bless aquatics, which had so 

 ntuch overspread the field. This drain had also 

 theeffect of layiiiir dry a pump-well at a consider- 

 able disiance from it. This shows, that in such 

 cases, the auger is the sine qua non. and that 

 many drains may be cut to an expensive depth, 

 without effecting the desired end, or without 

 making any material change on the appearance of 

 the grour!d. 



If the drain is to be cut through a soft boggy 

 soil. It is better to be open than covered, particu- 

 larly if it be in a situation where it may receive 

 other water than that collected from below, and 

 may serve as a division betwixt the upland and 

 low grounds; for stones are apt to sink, and give 

 way, in such soft bottoms, and so the drain is lia- 

 ble to be filled up and destroyed. The width of a 

 covered drain is Iron) three to four It-et at top, and 

 one and a half or two feet at bottom, thus giving 

 six or nine inches for each side slone. and as 

 much for the passage of the water between; Ibrm- 

 ing, in all, a conduit, or opening, six or nine in- 

 ches square. The depth is reculated by the level 

 of the place where the drain is to empty itseilj and 

 the nature ofthe ground ihrouirh which if is to be 

 cut. commonly from four to six feet, and never less 

 than four. VVhen the drain cannot be cut through 

 the clay, or so deep as to reach the stratum in 

 which "the spring lies, and is merely to act as the 

 conductor of the water that is brought up by the 

 aiiirer, its depth need only be lour Ieet; which is 

 sufficient to allow the proper depth of earth, above 

 the stones of which the conduit is formed. 



In soft boggy soils, where the drain is to be 

 covered, it is often necessary to cut to a greater 

 depth than six Ieet. in order to get through the 

 moss, and have a secure foundation for the stones, 

 and as a great part of the water is always lodged 

 between the moss and the next stratum. In dig- 

 ging the drain, it is best to cut the whole length, 

 to the depth of only two or three feet at first, 

 which prevents the risk of its falling in; and when 

 the ground adjoining it, [)y that means, becomes 

 firm, and the stones have been laid down by the 

 sides of it, then it may be cut to the full depth re- 

 quired. In opening the drain, it should be begun 

 at the lower end, and carried upwards, laying the 

 turf along the upper, and throwing out all the 

 stuff to the lower side. In laying the drain, it 

 should be begun at the upper end, and proceeded 

 with downwards, smoothmg and clearing the bot- 

 tom before laying the stones. By this means the 

 fall is seen, and can be kept; lor, when begun at 

 the lower end, and laid upwards in level ground, 

 there is danger of digging too deep, in clearing 

 the bottom; by which means, a stagnation of wa- 

 ter and sludge takes place, which ought always to 

 be avoided. 



The most difficult part ofthe work is, laying tho 

 conduit in running sands, where it is necessary to 

 have the sides of the trench supported with flat 

 hoards and props, which are removed forwards as 

 they proceed in working. This gives security to 



