574 



FARMERS' REGISTER— CLOS DE VOUGEAUD. 



Petersburg to the town of Farmvillc, at all seasons 

 of the year," the following report is sumniitted: 



About the middle of July last, I proceeded to 

 the town of Farmville, and connnenced the sur- 

 vey, extending it up the Appomattox to the South 

 Fork, a distance of 38^- miles, with a fall ol' 243.69 

 feet. The present charter of the Upper Appo- 

 mattox Company extends to Plaiiterstown, a dis- 

 tance of 22^ miles, with a tall oi' 96.15 feet, ave- 

 raging 4.9 feet per mile; the remaining 16 miles 

 has a fiill of 175.54 feet, averaging upwards of 9 

 feet to the mile. The great fall in this portion of 

 the river, and the very considerable expense at- 

 tending its improvement, induces me to think that 

 Planterstown is as high a point as the company's 

 attention should be directed for the present. There- 

 fore, the .estimate of expense extends no further. 



Tlie princij)al obstructions between Farmville 

 and Planterstown, are the number of slioals, many 

 of which are gravel, difficult to improve, and un- 

 certain of remaining so; in reaches of the river 

 free from shoals, the navigation is materially in- 

 jured by the number of trees and logs, occasion- 

 ing an accumulation of sand and difiusing the 

 water over its bed, so that no suflicient depth can 

 be obtained until the removal of such obstructions. 

 Jettees may be beneficially applied in such places 

 after the removal of logs, &c. Wings with side 

 dams should be used in the improvement of shoals. 

 By throwing the quantit)^ of wafer into a body, 

 and retaining it between the side dams it secures 

 a more regular depth and prevents any accumula- 

 tion of gravel, &c. By tlie application of jettees 

 or wing dams to a shoal of considerable length, a 

 sufficient depth may be obtained between the jet- 

 tees from the construction of the current; but when 

 allowed to spread, it loses its scumming property: 

 a deposite takes place between the former and 

 lower jettee, which proves injurious to the naviga- 

 tion. By proper anj)hcation of jettees, wing and 

 side dams, the removal of logs, gravel, &c. a nav- 

 igation of 18 inches in depth may be obtained to 

 Planterstown, the gi'eater part of the year. 



The fall of the river fi-om Farmville to the head 

 of the canal in Petersburg is 180.26 feet, and dis- 

 tance 90 miles 497 yards. The act of the legisla- 

 ture calls for not le^ss than two feet depth of water 

 at all seasons of the yeai'. During the survey the 

 quantity of water was me;isured in several places, 

 and found inadequate to furnish the depth called 

 for by the act. The improvement of a river by 

 jettees, wings and side dams, is a very imcertain 

 and imperfect mode; much money may be expend- 

 ed, and the winter floods may cau.se a renewal of 

 the same expense if tliis method is persisted in. 

 The improvement of the river Clyde, in Scotland, 

 Avas com mcnce<l first by jettees, which were aban- 

 doned, then by contractmg the current by parallel 

 walls of stone thrown in promiscuously, besides 

 the great expense in tlie use of the dredging ma- 

 chine. Yet, late accounts attest the im[>erfec- 

 tion of this system of improving rivers, and the 

 navigation has been much impeded by the fre- 

 quent formation of obstructions. 



Being satisfied that the best mode of improving 

 the Appomattox from Farmville down, and furnish- 

 ing the called for de|)th, can only be obtained bv a 

 system of dams and locks; particular regard has 

 been had in jjlacing them in such situations, both 

 for security to the works and to occasion as little 

 damage as possible by their overflowing the ad- 



joining low grounds. The elevation of the pro- 

 posed dams, are from 1 foot in height to 6 feet. 

 From this arrangement no apprehension need be 

 entertained of nmch injuiy by overflowing, and 

 those low grounds at the dan)s, may be successfiil- 

 ly drained by passing round and discharging the 

 water belov/. The situation of the dams are most 

 generally at the head of the shoals with a view of 

 obtaining a'good foundation and the least possible 

 height. The entrance of the canals (for the safe- 

 ty of the boats) are a short distance above the 

 dams, and communicating with the river at the 

 lower end of the shoal, when the locks are made 

 more secure by being protected from the current of 

 the river, and constructed at less expense than if 

 connected with the dam. 



Particular attention should be had to the cut- 

 ting down and removal of the trees on the banks 

 of the river; they are numerous, with their 

 branches frequently interwoven across the stream. 

 The locks at Venable and Stony Point Mills re- 

 quire renewal; much delay and loss is sustained 

 by the imperfection of these locks during a 

 drought. 



The sill of the lock at Exeter Mills cannot be 

 more than four inches below the surface of the 

 water during a low stage of the river, therefore, it 

 becomes useless. During a liigh freshet in the river, 

 the head gate cannot be opened, causing a deten- 

 tion of several days to the boatsmen. The locks 

 at Clemingtown appear to be in good condition, 

 and are constructed on the best principle of any 

 between Farmville and the head of the canal. 



Estimate of the probable expense of improving 

 the navigation of the Appomattox river from the 

 town of Farmville to Planterstown by jettees, side 

 and wing dams, .§10,276 20. 



Estimate for completing a two feet depth navi- 

 gation of the river Appomattox between the town 

 of Farmville and the head of the canal at Peters- 

 burg $!74,708 70. By building the locks of stone 

 laid in water-proof cement, and including the lock- 

 age at the several mills, it would increase the 

 amount to i§ 152,000. 



JOHN CONTY, 



To the Board if Public Works. 



From the Horticultural Register. 

 VINEYARD OF CLOS DE VOXTGEAUD. 



In the middle and northern departments ot 

 France, and in the vineyard culture, the vines are 

 kept low, like plantations of the raspberry, the 

 vines being planted in close order; or they are 

 trained to low stakes, which are renewed every 

 year. When the \-ine has risen to a height suf- 

 ficiently above, it is bent over, and passed to the 

 top of the next stake, and secured in its rear; its 

 luxuriance being thus restrained. 



The same system of restriction is practised at 

 the Clos de J^o\igRaud. This is regarded as the 

 best vineyard in France, and was sold during the 

 revolution, and in 1794, for one million one hun- 

 dred Thousand francs. This vineyard is walled 

 round. The vines being keptlow, and the ground 

 never manured. The soil is calcareous, on a foun-r 

 dalion of limestone or calcareous rocks. 



