1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 

 Plate XU.—J)rainage of hills, procuring water for wells, Sfc. Sfc. 



r.H":?:-"--.-. ""^ •^^' /Aa'/" may be P/'ncaWI b'y /hp lucdp-v callech'rl In I'fiB Drains abaviBLs^, 



•v: . Poi-ous Rock or. Sancr]:^:^r^r.y:y.-^q^.,^^7'ani B 



•/ 



Plan. — D D Conducting drain. Section 



703 



consequently very difficult to cut, on account of 

 the nature and disposition of the stone. Where 

 the water that issues out along the upper line can, 

 by means of boring, be hit on in the main drain, 

 at the points marked B, it will be effectually 

 drawn ofi; but if that is not practicable, the depth 

 of the small cuts will reduce it to such a level as 

 will prevent its flowing over and injuring the sur- 

 face of the land below. 



In such hills as are composed of alternate strata 

 of rock, sand, and clay, the surface of the latter is 

 often wet and swampy, while that of the (brmer 

 is dry, and producing good grass. In these cases, 

 as many cuts will be necessary to drain it, as there 

 happen to be divisions of wet and dry soil. The 

 most elevated part of the hill, being composed of 

 porous strata, receives the rain water which de- 

 scends through it, till obstructed by an impervious 

 bed of clay; it then (bllovvs the course oi' this to 

 the surface, and overflows it as far down the de- 

 scent as the clay extends. 



After this, the water is absorbed by the suc- 

 ceeding porous stratum, and descending through 

 it, in the same way as above, it again issues at 

 the lower side of it, and renders the surlace of the 

 next clayey soil as wet as it did that of the first. 

 In this manner the same spring will affect the 

 other similar strata, of which the hill is composed, 

 down the whole declivity, and Ibrm at last, in the 

 hollow at the bottom, a bog or a lake, if there is 

 no natural outlet or descent lor the water. 



S S Springs. 



In order, then, to drain a hill side of this de- 

 scription, it is proper to begin by makitig a trench 

 along the upper side of the uppermost wet and 

 rushy soil, which will have the effect of cutting 

 off" the highest spring; but as the rain, and other 

 water ihat'may come upon the next portion of po- 

 rous soil, will subside to the lower part of it, and 

 form another spring, which may likewise be part- 

 ly supplied from some internal source, a second 

 cut or drain must be made in that part, to prevent 

 the water Irom injuring the surface of the suc- 

 ceeding clay beds. Thus, similar cuts will be ne- 

 cessary, so far down the declivity as the same 

 springs and appearances continue, and which, ou 

 the whoie, may afford a supply of water to the 

 stream in the hollow, that may be useful for seve- 

 ral purposes. See plate No. XII. line marked C. 



In some hills, the strata of which they are form- 

 ed lie so regular, that it is possible to draw the 

 water from either side on the same level: which, 

 in many cases, would be of advantage, by drain- 

 ing the one side, and |)rocuring water for the other; 

 for there is often wet and swampy ground on the 

 one side, while the other is too dry. This is 

 owing to the retentive body of clay, which keeps 

 up the water, not beii.g disposed in a horizontal 

 direction, but having a dip or de|)ression, a little 

 n)ore to one side than to the other, and fi-om the 

 dry side being overlapped by a covering oi' clay, 

 by which the water is forced to issue at the open 

 side; but when an outlet is made for it on the dry 



