716 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 12 



There are several local impediments, which 

 cannot be so easily got the better of. The want 

 oC stone, in many situations, is complained of; and 

 ^he want of levels through contiguous property, is 

 ^Qmetimes an obstacle severely felt. The fir.-t 

 may, in a great measure, be remedied, by remov- 

 ing the tax upon brick.* when vsp.d solely for that 

 purpose^ and by using wood, as has already been 

 described; and the latter may be obviated, by 

 niaking an exchange of property in some cases, 

 iand by mutual agreement in others. 



It has been hinted in the Introduction, that the 

 <lrainage of the large tracts of moss that exist in 

 Scotland, would be so beneficial an improvement 

 to the kingdom at large, that it would be a mea- 

 sure deserving the attention of the legislature. 

 Besides applying particularly to these extensive 

 mosses and waste grounds, an act of parliament 

 for the general encouragement of draining would 

 be one of the most important and useful measures 

 that could be mtroduced into this country. There 

 are laws for dividing run-rig lands and commons; 

 for straightinff marches, and for erecting mutual 

 fences: but there is none, by which we can com- 

 pel our neighbors to join in a common drain, how- 

 ever advantageous such might be, for all the par- 

 ties concerned. A great deal of wet land might 

 he drained, and consequently brought into cultiva- 

 tion^ if an act could be obtained upon the follow- 

 ing principles: 



1st, That every person should have a power to 

 m^e his land dry, and to preserve it so. 



2dly, That the expense should be defrayed mu- 

 tually by those receiving advantage from the 

 drain, in their due proportions, as ascertained 

 by arbitrators and commissioners nominated 

 for that purpose. 



ddly, Full compensation should be allowed to 

 those whose property may be injured, or who 

 may grant a level lor draining the lands of 

 others. 



Athly, That the method of obtaining this law, 

 and the means of putting it in execution, 

 phould be so favorable, as to come within the 

 reach of every one having even the smallest 

 quantity of such ground to drain. And, 



jLaitly, That according to the proportion of ex- 

 pense, which each individual is found to pay, 

 for the original construction of the drain, they 

 should be bound to contribute in upholding it, 

 or, when it is necessary, to renew or repair it. 



For these purposes, the mode of procedure 

 plight be similar to that established i'or the settling 

 of marches, &c.; and if the persons concerned 

 i5ould not agree to have the matter adjusted by ar- 

 bitration, they might apply to the sheriff; or, if 

 found necessary, go to the Court of Session, who 

 would decide, as they do in the case of commons, 

 by sending commissioners to the ground to eet- 

 de it. 



In England, the beneficial effects of a similar 

 taw have been frequently experienced. A Com- 

 mission of Sewers is appointed, with power to car- 

 ry into effect public drainages, where the interfe- 

 rence of inactive or invidious proprietors would 

 have otherwise put a stop to the operation. 

 Though public advantage does thus intert'ere with 

 private property, and though every man is entitled 



to the enjoyment of his own in the way he thinks 

 best, there is no other measure by which this ob- 

 ject can be so generally accomplished, where ami- 

 cable or conciliatory means fail in bringing it to a 

 conclusion. 



In the present state of the country, when all its ag- 

 cullural produce is unequal to the consumption of 

 its population, and when this produce might be so 

 much increased, by the division, the drainage, 

 and the cultivation of its w;isie land, it is now 

 the time for the Highland and Aii;ricidiural Socie- 

 ty of Scotland, those of a similar description in 

 England, and all other public spirited bodies, to 

 exert their influence in bringing about this nation- 

 al and important measure. 



Such are the chief obstacles which have hither- 

 to, and do still, retard the progress of draining. 

 There may be others of less moment, which have 

 their influence in that respect; but these are in 

 general less prejudicial in their tendency, and more 

 limited in their operation. 



* The duty is now taken off. 



EXTRACTS FROM SOME OF THE 'AGRICULTU- 

 RAI^ reports' of those COUNTIES IN ENG- 

 LAND, WHERE MR. ELKINGTON EXECUTED 

 THE MOST REMARKABLE DRAINAGES, AS 

 PROOF OF THE ADVANTAGES DERIVED 

 FROM HIS PRACTICE.* 



Being Mr. Elkington's native county, and the 

 one in which he first made the discovery, it is pro- 

 per to begin with the 'Report' of 



TTie County of Warwick, by John Wedge. 



"Draining is, without doubt, the first step to- 

 wards the improvement of ail wet land; it has 

 been practised with much success in this county 

 for several years, but more particularly so since 

 Mr. Elkington, a farmer in this district, introduced 

 a method of draining boggy lands, by making 

 deep drains, and boring at the bottom or sides of 

 them through the diflierent under-strata, so as to 

 tap the springs, and thereby, in many instances, 

 cure large tracts of land with very few drains. 

 The novelty of this practice here, and Mr. Elk- 

 ington's mysterious manner, in declaring he knew 

 where, and in what direction, the diflerent strata 

 of the earth divided, and at what particular point 

 an auger hole might be bored, to lay dry this or 

 that particular spring or well, were matters which 

 attracted much notice, and occasioned great sur- 

 prise; and it is but justice to Mr. Elkington to say, 

 that in one class of bogs, &c. which abound as 

 much as (perhaps more than) any other, he has 

 not only had the honor of introducing the auger in 

 this county, but the merit of laying efliectually dry, 

 many large tracts of land." 



County of Leicester, by John Monk. 



"The most capital improvements have been 

 made under the direction of Mr. Elkington, who 

 is supposed to be the first in that line in the world. 

 After forming the drain by beginning at the fall, 

 and working upwards, he makes use of a borer to 

 find the spring, with which he generally succeeds, 

 which has a wonderful eflect in draining the land. 

 It is said that he has a very quick and certain me- 



* These Extracts are taken from the first Reports 

 transmitted to the Board of Agriculture; but in the se- 

 cond publication of them, the information on this sub- 

 ject is more full. 



