754 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



rent, which being directed into two nine feet lanes, 

 made by the staccade and the wattlings, gradually 

 conveyed the sand into them, and forced the creek 

 to retire into a narrow channel. To accelerate the 

 operation, the sand of the hill was occasionally 

 thrown into the creek, and to lessen the labor ol' 

 doing it, the channel, as the canal widened by 

 drafts of sand from the hill, was kept near its 

 base. This was done by occasionally removing 

 the stones and pebbles, generally found in sandy 

 soils, and left behind by the filtration, to the base 

 of the bank, where they produced the indispensa- 

 ble end of preventing the attrition of the current. 



As much sand being thus conveyed and de- 

 posited as the descent would allow, two close pa- 

 rallel green cedar wattlings were made eighteen 

 feet below the lowest hitherto mentioned, from the 

 highland to the marsh ; the cut through the marsh 

 on the lower side, made in raising that part of the 

 dam, was converted into a channel for the creek 

 to the opposite high-land and a short canal was 

 cut through a neck of marsh, to conduct it from 

 thence to tide water below. And thenceforth the 

 sand was deposited by the current along the 

 whole extent of the dam, from whence it was oc- 

 casionally with great ease removed upon it, by 

 taking off the creek in low tides and dry seasons, 

 iu which there is no difficulty. 



In carrying the staccade across the creek, great 

 care was taken to make its top one foot higher 

 than the highest tides, and on covering it with 

 the sand, the aperture left for the tides was closed. 

 The dam was however twice broken by high tides, 

 before it was conjectured that the sand by iis 

 weight had compressed the porous marsh soil of 

 which the bottom of the creek was composed, and 

 lowered the whole staccade with it. Upon a strict 

 attention to this idea, however, it was concluded, 

 that such a compressure, in proportion to weight 

 and compressibility took place throughout the dam 

 and banks ; and that though it required occasion- 

 al additions to both, to preserve their level at least 

 two feet above the highest tides and inundations, 

 its effect of obstructing the percolation of the sur- 

 rounding water into the space to be drained, ad- 

 mitted by the nature of the soil to a great extent, 

 was a full retribution for the labor thus expended. 



The dam and banks being closed quite around, 

 to get rid of the internal water, constituted the re- 

 maining difficulty. It was necessary to construct 

 a gate to discharge it at low tides. A tide gate 

 in the centre of the dam was unsuccessfully tried. 

 And finally a trunk made of two inch oak plank, 

 sixteen feel long, with a cavity three feet wide 

 and one deep, answered the end much better than 

 any other experiment. The water on the inside 

 passes along the dam, parallel to the water on the 

 out, in the channel cut lor raising the dam across 

 the marsh, to the small canal near the junction of 

 its bank with the dam. At this spot tlie founda- 

 tion is an unctuous fullers' earth. The place be- 

 ing made by bay-dams, was dug out to the pre- 

 cise level of low water, and the trunk accurately 

 laid down upon it. Plank one foot wide was sunk 

 quite around it edgeways, so as to lap two inches 

 on the bottom of the trunk, and the whole was 

 covered wiih earth, and well rammed to within 

 two feet of the ends, so as to discharge the water 

 into the small canal. At each aperture of the 

 trunk is a door made of a single plank, fitted to 

 the outside, having four folds of coarse woollen 



cloth, dipped in hot tar, nailed on eo as to fit the 

 mouths of the box, fixed by strong hinges made 

 for the purpose, and latched under water by the 

 help of a long handle attached to the latch. The 

 delect hitherto discovered is, that the trunk is not 

 long enough by about six feet. 



This species of trunk vpas first tried to save the 

 water of a small branch for grinding gypsum, in 

 a simple tub mill, built ibr that purpose. Only 

 one door, and no latch was necessary. The 

 pressure of the water in the pond was such, that 

 when hiu;h, a strong chain attached well to the 

 door, worked with a small lever, was necessary to 

 open it. A hole of two inches diameter, kept 

 closed with a large peg, to be pulled out by a pole 

 fastened to it, was resorted to for diminishing the 

 resistance of the water, and caused the door to 

 open more easily. And the end of saving the 

 water was very well effected. 



It was discovered that the interval water to be 

 voided by the trunk was vastly increased by 

 springs passing under the canals, for which there 

 was no remedy but to deepen them. This remedy 

 was applied to the small one with such effect, that 

 its continuance, until the bottom in its whole 

 course shall be brought to a level with the water 

 at low tide, is confidently considered as a certain 

 cure for the evil. The number and size of the 

 springs discovered were beyond expectation, and 

 the interception of the residue is considered as 

 certain. The large canal could not be deepened 

 hitherto, because it has not quite finished the work 

 of alluvion. But there will be no dilffcully in cut- 

 ting off the springs beneath it, by a narrow ditch 

 in the centre. For when this work is done, the 

 obstructions to prevent the creek from deepening 

 itself will be removed, and that operation will 

 both lessen the work of penetrating to the springs, 

 and also bestow upon the bank a more perfect de- 

 gree of strength. 



The efforts used to prevent the abrasion of the 

 water in acute angles, eddies or strong currents, 

 consisted of single or double wattles of green 

 cedar, in proper declivities to resist water, and to 

 retain earth; and of throwing all stones and gra- 

 vel washed Irom the base of the hills cut by the 

 canal, to the base of the bank. The bank also, 

 generally, had covered itself before its apertures, 

 for allowing a passage to inundations, were closed, 

 with a strong tegument of shrubs, weeds or grass; 

 and these several remedies against the attrition of 

 the current have hitherto been effectual. A por- 

 tion of the land heretofore flooded by common 

 tides, is quite dry, and will be this year cultivated. 



After widening the dam by alluvion, to about 

 thirty feet, the creek will no longer be kept paral- 

 lel with it, but will be sent straight on from the 

 right bank. And the bank is destined to the use 

 of apple trees. 



The sandy soil approximating upon most or all 

 of the marshes and sunken grounds of the eastern 

 states, seems to be the providential provision of 

 the means for reclaiming them ; and the multitude 

 of currents passing through this soil, are like 

 vehicles for conveying these means to the neces- 

 sary positions. They are vehicies which disregard 

 distance, travel constantly and never decay. They 

 will calk the most porous soil, overwhelm the 

 strongest vermin, and follow the slightest direction. 

 Their efforts may be aided by the plough, by re- 

 moving obstructioDSj and by tumbling into them 



