1838] 



FARMERS' R K G I S T 10 R. 



711 



trance into Uir^e, caverns of the ear»h, the many 

 salt-sprin2-9, and rock-gait, that are found in Ent>'- 

 land and other countries, are positive proo;s. Wa- 

 ter, from the same source, n\ay have its saline 

 quality modified, by filtration in the ditferf^nt per- 

 vious strata throuirh which it may pass. This 

 miirht, to a certain deirree, he ascertained, by oh- 

 servmar if the water in such a pit, shal>. or well, 

 rose no higher than the surface of the sea; and if 

 it rose and fell accordinj^ to the How and ebb of 

 the tide. 



Alonjj (he shore, at low- water, may he seen 

 very strong sprintrs, issuing froiri the rock, between 

 Portobello and Fisherrovv, tiie li?eders ol which lie 

 in the Penlland and Braid Hills, and interveninij 

 eminences.* These springs could be raised to a 

 considerable height b}' means of compression, as 

 described in page 704, and tig. 2il, Plate XIII., and 

 might be thus converted to useful purposes, — there 

 being few or no pure land-springs in that locality. 

 The Frith of Forth being bounded in this (luar- 

 tei^y a strong barrier of clay, no springvvater 

 can have exit, unless where that boundary is bro- 

 ken by intervening strata of sand or rock, which is 

 the case at the places alluded to. 



In a future essay, (which tlieau'her has in con- 

 templation), this will be treated of at large; and 

 wherein will be given, geological sections of the 

 country from the Pentland Hills to the Frith of 

 Forth, illustrative of the subterraneous passage of 

 water from its highest feeders to its lowest outlet; 

 forming a succession ofswamns(at one titne lakes,) 

 accordmg to the nature and inclination of the stra- 

 ta, from the most distant receivers to the level of 

 the sea. 



A cut and conduit, laid out by the author, across 

 a bog in the vicinity of St. Andrew's, has just 

 been completed (December, 1834), for the purpose 

 of procjiring a supply of spring water for that city. 

 This^m-ain, although little more than 400 yards in 

 lerigtjj^'(that part ol'it in which the water is found), 

 .|)fc^ces 27 Scotch pints per minute, being three 

 tim^more than three times the length ofcuts and 

 p,ipes, fj-om wells in the same ground, produced be- 

 fore. Its depth is from six to ten feet, passing 

 tihrough a super-stratum of peat earth and clay; it 

 then reaches a bed of free stone sand, from which 

 the water flows. This drain efiiects a double pur- 

 pose, that of laying the land dry, and supplying 

 the city with good water. Plan and section in 

 Plate XI, is a near representation of it. In the 

 above case, it was unnecessary, and might have 

 been hazardous, to use the auger, the quantity of 

 water found in the drain being sufficient for the 

 purpose required; and the situation being such, on 

 the sloping declivity of high ground near the sea, 

 there was a risk of losing the water, by letting it 

 down into some subjacent absorbent strata, below 

 the level of the city. — See page 



SECTION V. 



Description of the auger and spirit-level, with 

 other implements for draining ; and the manner 

 of using them. 



The borer, used in draining, is nearly similar to 

 that made use of in searching tor coal, or other 

 subterraneous minerals. The auger, shell, or wim- 

 ble, (as it is variously called), for excavating the 

 earth and other strata through which it passes, is 



about three inches in diameter ; the hollow part of 

 it, one loot six inches in ItMigili, and conslructed 

 nearly in the sha['e of the wimble used by carpen- 

 ters ; only, the sides of the shell conif nearer, i. e. 

 within an inch of one another. The rods are 

 made in separate pieces of lour feet long each, 

 that screw into one another to any assignable 

 length, one after another, as the (le|)th of the hole 

 requires. The size of these, is yti inch and quar- 

 ter square. There is a chisel and punch tor 

 screwing on, in going through gravel, or other 

 solid materials, to accelerate the passtige of the 

 auger, which co'uld mot otherwise perforate such 

 hard bodies. 



The chisel is two inches and a hall" broad at the 

 point, and marie veryshar]) fijr cutting stone ; the 

 punch is about an inch and half square, also 

 sha:|;ened at the point, for piercing gravel, &c. 

 There is a <louble cross hai.'.lle at top, and two iron 

 keys l()r screwing and unscrewing the rods, with a 

 small instrument fitted to the hollow part ol the^ 

 shell, for cleaning it when itiil. The manner of 

 using it is thus; and for the most ; art, i: requires 

 four men to work iteflectually. When the auger 

 is full (which is easily known by the depth), they 

 draw if out, and the n)aii in the bottom of the 

 drain clears out the earth, directs it again into the 

 hole, and can assist in turning it with the iron key, 

 and also in drawing it out, when the depth and 

 weight of rods require additional force for that op- 

 eration. The workmen should be cautious in bor- 

 ing, not to go deeper at a time, than the lengih of 

 the s^.eIl, without drawing it up; otherwise the 

 earth, clay, or sand, through which it is boringj 

 closes above it when full, and tnakes it very diffi- 

 cult to pull out. For iliis purpose, the exact 

 lengih of the shell should be regularly marked on 

 the rods, from the bottom upwards. A platform, 

 made of strong boards, with a hole in the centre, 

 is laid over the drain in time of boring; if being 

 useful for directing the rods perpendicularly ; for 

 keeping them steady ; and ibr tlie men walking 

 on, when turning the instiument round. The men, 

 in boring, lean upon the handles, and walk round, 

 which gives more pressure and effect to the in- 

 strument, than standing when turning it round. 

 With additional machinery lor drawing it out, the 

 auger is used in boring tor coal, &c. to the dep*h 

 of several hundred feet. 



There has been a horizontal anger invented by 

 Mr. Haford of Hathern, in Leicestershire, though 

 not in very general use. The advantages of it 

 are in many cases considerable, by lessening the 

 expense of otherwise cutting ; and its perlbrming 

 the work in a much shorter time. Where a drain 

 or water-course has to pass under a house, bank, 

 road, hedge, wall, rivulet of water ; or for drying 

 marl pits, quarries of stone, &c. it may be used 

 to advantage, in excavating a sufficient passage 

 for the water without opening a trench for that 

 purpose. In laying leaden pipes for the convey- 

 ance of water, it is also usefil, in making an ap- 

 erture through whicli the pipe may be drawn, 

 without opening a cut from the surfiice. 



For tafiping springs, or finding water at the 

 bottom of a hill, either for the supply of a house, 

 or tor draining the ground, it may be used with 

 eucess, as the water of the spring, when hit on, 

 will flow more easily, and in greater abundance, 

 through a horizontal or level, than through a per- 

 pendicular outlet ; also in boring, through any re- 



