CHAPTER III. 



ON DEALING. 



\ 



Art. XXIIL— THE ELKINGTON SYSTEM. 



[From Remar/cs on the Agriculture of AlerdeensJiire.~\ 



By Mr. Sullivan. 



Dr. Skene Keith mentions that many of the handed pro- 

 prietors had employed Johnston, a disciple of Elkington, to 

 survey not only their personal farms, but also those of several. 

 of their tenants, for the purpose of obtaining" directions from 

 Lim rea'arding- the best method of removing- the superabun- 

 dant moisture which they had foimd from experience to be 

 most prejudicial to their crops. As the over-wetness arose, 

 in many instances, from water issuing- to the surface, in 

 consequence of meeting- with some interruption in its subter- 

 ranean course, the Ellving'ton system was found hig'hly bene- 

 ficial. In those days it was deemed unnecessary to drain 

 any except springy or spouty land ; and it was seldom that 

 the whole of a field was drained, but merely the spots which 

 it was dang-erous to allow the working- cattle at any season 

 to walk over. When a spouty patch Avas to be dried, a 

 large drain or trench was formed of sufficient depth to reach 

 the channel or bed along- which the water filtered before 

 encountering- the obstruction which had forced it to the 

 surface ; and so directed as to intercept as many spring-s as 

 possible. It was found that one drain skilfully placed, and 

 of sufficient dej)th, frequently rendered a larg-e tract of wet 

 land ]ierfectly dry and firm. Though not now practised to 

 any thing like the same extent as formerly, this method of 

 draining is still adopted in most cases where the wetness 

 proceeds from one or more springs, as in bogs and swamps. 



