183S] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



723 



In all the modern lirairiatres in thceasiern coun- 

 lics, the fanners have been very solicitous to cut 

 Ihein as narrow as pnssilije; hy whidi means a 

 <rreat savinu' is niaile iti the niaierials used lur fill- 

 inif ilien), such as hushes, |)()les, spray, or siraw; 

 but it" iirick or siouos are used, of coinse this ruli' 

 cannot be adiiered to. However, there is no oc- 

 casiun for the wullii beinij <2i"eater than one loot, it' 

 the sloues are only coupled at, bottom, or thrown 

 ni promiscuously, or more than sixteen inches if 

 laid in the form of a conduit. Whatever the depth 

 of the materials Ite, the mould that covers iheni 

 to the surface should never be less than one foot 

 tifick, or rather (nure, in ail tilla<re fields. In pas- 

 ture land, s^ravel, if at !;and (especially if the soil 

 is very tenaciou^^) is preferable to ihe mould thrown 

 out, wiiich may be spread in any adjoining hol- 

 low. 



The depth and width, &c. marked in the plate, 

 is the proportion thai ouoht to be adopted on all 

 land that is we; from surliice water, or from its 

 stai^nation in a porous u|)per soil. 



VIII. Tools employed, and manner of digging. 



The instruments which have been long in com- 

 mon use in the eastern parts of the kingdom, are 

 cxrromely simple. 



While the de[)ths of the drains were more con- 

 sioprahle than at pri'sent, three spades were in use 

 to succeed one another, lesi-ening in breadth gra- 

 dually, in such a manner as to fiirin a regular con- 

 traction lo the bottom; but of la'e years, cheaper 

 and easier methods have been pursued. By pre- 

 vious ploughing, all the spades, except the lower 

 one, have been laid aside; and where a greater 

 depth than cominon has been required, not more 

 than two have been used. The t^coop, which is 

 pushed or drawn along the bottom of the drain, to 

 clear out the loosp mould, and prepare it for the 

 materials used in fil!in<r, varies, in size and breadth, 

 according to the width of the drain. The drain- 

 ing spade, which is also of different sizes, is re- 

 presented in the plate. 



The preceding circumstances point out the man- 

 ner in which ihese drains are, for the most part, 

 duiJT; but there is a tnaterial diiference in the truth 

 and accuracy with which they are executed, ac- 

 cording as a workman is accustomed to the busi- 

 ness, and skilfiil or awkward in handling his tools. 

 The work is almost nnivprsally done by measure, 

 at so much a score rods, which, as in similar cases, 

 induces the men to earn as much as possible. 

 They requre, however, close attention, to see if 

 they keep to the depth contracted for, and that 

 tliey deposit rhe earth so as noi to flill in, in t e 

 act of filling, especially as the surface soil should 

 (on one side at least) be kept t>ee li-om the clay or 

 lower stratum. 



In filling, more attention is necessary, ifdone by 

 contract, which will be afterwards explained. 



IX. Opening drains by the plough only, Sfc. 



The Society for the 'Encouragement of Arts, 

 Manufactures, and Conunfrce,' trave a boimty, 

 about fifty years ago, to i\'!r. Makius of Snlfhlk, 

 for having invented a plough to cut hollow drains. I 



There was merit in the idea, but it has long ; 

 since been entirely laid aside, both in Suffolk and j 

 Essex.* I 



*In Bail'::y's "Advancement of tlie Arts," there is a 

 plate, and explanation of it. I 



Another plough, to answer the same purpose, 

 was invented by Mr. Arbuthnot of Miicham, of 

 which an account is given in the 'Eastern Tour,' 

 with a plate and measurement of it. And lately, 

 the Society of Arts have made several trials with a 

 plough lor Ihe same purpose, cialled a mole plough, 

 of a singular coiisiru(;tiun; the intention ol" which 

 is, tjy considerable Ibice, to dniw a pointed circular 

 iron, at a given depth, through the earth, which 

 shall fijrm a pipe in it — not to be filled with any 

 materials, but in the expectation, as it is said from 

 experience, that the waierwill flow Ire.ely through 

 the soil it has loosened, to a depth below the roots 

 of the grain, and will find its way by filtration into 

 the furrows. 



The repeated ploughings or shovellings with 

 common tools are expensive, and might probably 

 be executed in a cheaper and more expeditious 

 manner by an open drain plough. 



How far that invented by xVlr. Knowles, and 

 rewarded by the Society of Arts, would, at a suffi- 

 ciently cheap rate answer this purpose, has not 

 been sufficiently asceriained. But it is obvious 

 that, from the force and number of horses or oxen 

 requisite to work them, ploughs calculated for this 

 purpose wdi never come into general use.* 



Another invention lor dratnin<x land, in Essex, 

 is thus described in the 'Agricultura! Report' of that 

 county: — The author of this experiment has con- 

 s:rucied, and uses a draining wheel of cast iron, 

 that weighs about 4 cwl. It is 4 feet in diameter; 

 the cutting edire, or extieme circumference ol' the 

 wheel, is half an inch thick, which increases in 

 ihickness inwards the nave or centre, and will, at 

 15 inches deep, cut a drain halt' an inch wide at 

 the bottom, and four inches wide at the top. This 

 wheel is so placed in a frame, that it may be load- 

 ed at pleasure, and be made to operate lo a greater 

 or less depth, accordint; to the resistance made by 

 the ground; which, thus cut in the winter, the 

 wheel tracts are then either filled with straw ropes, 

 and lightly covered over, or left to crack wider and 

 deeper during the ensuisig summer. The fissures 

 are then filled with twisied straw or bushes, and 

 covered lightly with some ol'the most porous earth 

 thai may f)e most conveniently at hand; and thus, 

 upon ihe yrass, or ley land, are hollow drains 

 f)rmed at little or no expense, and which, upon 

 tiial. have been found lo answer extremely well." 



Tiiisdraining-wheel is also described in the 'An- 

 nals of Agriculure,' where it is said that twelve 

 acres have been done with if in one day; but neither 

 the expense of the machine, nor number of horses 

 required to draw it, has been stated. It works or 

 cuts best when the land is wet and soft. 



X. Materials with which they are filled. 



In respect to the materials for filling the drains, 

 the farmer must be giiideil by circumstances of 

 situation, &c. Those most commonly used are, 

 1. stone; 2, wool; 3. straw and stubble; 4. heath 

 or ling; and 5. bricks made Ihr the purpose. 



If stone taken from quarries is lo be used, and 

 the drain f)rmed like a conduit at bottom, 'he 

 trench is made wide, enoiio-h to contain two side 

 stones, about six inches asunder, and the same in 



*A Mole Plough has heon cons'rncted by Mr WW- 

 son, an ingenious mechanic at ColHstnam. in Berwick- 

 shire, and is likely to be of service in draining land 

 that is entirely free of stones. 



