1838.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER,. 



41 



lime or sliell-marl dist^olvod in tlie water oflho 

 upper cairiiT, would be. attended with Hto most 

 bonefioial ed'eels. Its finer particles would tliiis 

 be intimately dillbsed oyer the surCace, would he 

 lodired in closer contact with the roots of the 

 gras:?. and adi.rd Ihem aiidiiional nourishment to 

 what they receive from the It^riiliziiiijj qualities of 

 the water. The operation would be simple, and 

 the expense tridiun:> li'oii) the small fpiantity of", 

 lime sulTicient lor the purpo^e. The lime siionld 

 be laid down aloni; the side of the uppermost 

 trench or carrier, and, alier heinif slacked, put, in 

 small (]nautities, amonij ihe water in the cut, andj 

 beiiiiT stirred about, would be carried down by the 

 stream, and equally di'flised over the surtiice. It 

 is to be observed, that the lime, or shell-marl, is 

 only to be used in this manner, the last, days of 

 the waterincf.for that season. . The refuse of salt, 

 used in this manner, would be a valuable im- 

 provement; its fertilizmjif qualities beinij equally 

 beneficial on pasture, as well as on arable land.* 

 These experiments the author has not seen prac- 

 tised, though he here recommends them; but it is 

 obvious to every one who is in the least acquaint- 

 ed with the object of fioodini'', and with the quali- 

 ties of these manures, that it must prove henefi- 

 cial, beyond a doubtj 



channel from which it spruns;. T!]at nothing can be 

 luore absurd, the following fact will prove: — At Dray- 

 ton-park, near Taraworth, in Staubrdshire, a consider- 

 able extent of bog was thus wate-ed, by a cut for that 

 purpose, conducted under the direction oi Mr. Bake- 

 well, at a very great expense, and which, after being 

 completed, had the effect of rendering the ground 

 mucli worse, and rtiore swampy than before. This, to 

 the surprise of Mr. Bakowell (but not entirely to his 

 conviction), not having the effect which he argueil it 

 would, Mr. Eikington was applied to, who, by means 

 of a drain wliich he made, and which did not exceed 

 one-lhird of the expense of Mr. Bakewell's water- 

 works, has rend--red the ground worth ten times its 

 former value, and it Jiovv produces crops of gnin equal 

 in value to any that is produced in that country. This 

 is mentioned, as a proof that land of that description, 

 without being previously drained, can never be water- 

 ed with advantage. 



* In a communication to the Board of Agriculture, 

 on the nature and qualities of salt, as a manure, by 

 Mr. Roalfe, of Sandwich, he says — "Salt is also excel- 

 lent upon rushy and sour pastures, which are subject 

 to occasion the rot in sheep: such is its effect, that it 

 prevents that destructive evil from attacking them." 



t A method nearly similar to this, seems to be prac- 

 tised in watering grOund in Switzerland, as appeal's 

 from tlie following remark in a treatise, entitled, ""Le 

 Socrate Rustique,'-' 1764: — "Our cultivator considera- 

 bly augments the vegetative properties of the water 

 by rick mould, procured, as I have already mentioned, 

 Irom green turf, cut from eminences in pasture, or liorn 

 fallow land. This hi throws into the principal head 

 of water, so that the lesser channels may imbibe and 

 communicate fertility over the meadow." In a note 

 by the translator, alluding to this passage, he says — 

 ••This is a good thought; but the benefit on some sods, 

 of casting slacked lime into the stream, would be much 

 greater, and acquired at a much less expense,." 



Another method, practised by Mr. Miller of Dun- 

 stall, in Statibrdshire, merits attention. On the stream 

 which he applies to the floating of his ground, are two 



i)onds, for the purpose of supplying mills situated be- 

 ow. From these pond.3 the floating trenches are sup- 

 plied; and as there is always a quantity of fine mud 

 deposited in the bottom of them, this he stirs about, so 

 as to be carried along with the water, and equallv dis- 

 Vol. Vl-6 , " 



As it is only in certain situations where this 

 mode of' improvement, by means of water, can be 

 adopted ancl practised with advantage, it is necee- 

 .sary to take notice of the other means that may- 

 be used, and that are licst calculated lljr the im- 

 provement of boirs, by convertinjr them into a 

 state of cultivation so soon after draining as they 

 become iv'cessible to the spade or the plough. 



If the bog is ot considerable extent, the first 

 thiuii to be done after draininff, or which may be 

 done at the satne time, is dividing it into proper 

 incloshres, by open ditches. 



These will assist in carrying oflf the surface- 

 water, which the covered drains do not eHi?ct; and 

 part of the earth thrown out of them may be 

 mixed in a compound with duno; and lime, or 

 made use of in filling up some adjacent hollows. 

 If the ground is to be pared and burnt, part of it 

 may be burned along with the turf; but this is 

 supposing that no thorns or quick-lence is planted 

 along the ditches; in which case, no bank ol'earth 

 is requisite on either side. In ploughini,'. regard 

 must be paid to the proper direction and inclina- 

 tion of the ridges and furrows towards the open 

 ditches, in order to discharge the rain-water as it 

 falls. The great object is, to get the ground 

 brought into such a state as to be fit for being laid 

 down with grass-seeds, after which it maj' be 

 considered in such a state of improvement, that 

 any subsequent crops will require no n^ore than 

 ordinary manasement to cultivate. Some bogs, 

 \^hen too much drained, are apt to become parch- 

 ed in dry seasons. To remedy this, if the ground 

 is very flat, or nearly level, sluices may be placed 

 in the lower end of the division-ditches, which, m 

 ver'y d-ry seasons, may be kept shut, to retain the 

 water received from the top-drains. If the ditclies 

 have a descent, s.) that ihe water cannot stand 

 level all the way, several sluices of this kind will 

 be necessary; or the water may be stopped, by 

 building in turfs. Tiie v/ater may be allowed to 

 stand \vithin a foot, or a foot and a half, of the 

 surface, and,i)y its stagnation, will ooze through 

 the peat, or upper soil, and afibrd such a degree of 

 moisture as will greatly relieve the crop. If in 

 pastiire, the cattle should not be allowed to feed on 

 it while the wafer remains in the ditches, nor lor 

 some days after, as they would poach the surface 

 too muclj, and the heal would induce them to go 

 into the difclies, from which they might not easily 

 get out. 



In levelling or smoothing the surface, it will be 

 necessary lo use the spade, by whiidi the work 

 will be done nearlv as expeditiously, and much 

 more effectually, thati with the plough at first. 

 There are various opinions, how lii. paring and 

 burniniT is conducive to the improvement of land. 

 Some have condemned it, as a practice that ought 

 to be exploded on every s^oil; yet. on a certain 

 class of bojriry ground, it may be considered as a 

 very great improvement, not only from the excel- 

 lent manuH! that \h.e ashes produce, but also fiom 

 its destroying the roots of every noxious plant 

 more effiictually than could be done by means of 

 fallowing alone. The ashes of the burnt turf, 



tributed over the surface. The success of this practice 

 warrants its recommendation. 



Although the watering of land is now arri\ed at a 

 very great deg,Tee of perfection, yet these hints seem 

 to have escaped the attention of most practical flooderij. 



