OF DRAINING. 75 



to remove, lie arrang'ed to preserve tlie permealjility of the 

 drains with tlie smaller stones, or stones broken to tlie size 

 of a turkey's egg". The drains he had cut narrow at the 

 bottom, not exceeding* four inches in width, in order to con- 

 fine the current of the water to a narrow channel, thereby 

 ensuring" the removal of any casual deposit. He filled up 

 the drain to the depth of twelve inches with stones, leaving* 

 eig'hteen inches from thence to the surface for the working* 

 of the ploug'h. He very soon discovered the propriety of 

 closely covering* over the stones to prevent the water leaving* 

 any direct access, which he accomplished by using- a very 

 thin turf, closing" in the whole drain, and over this he caused 

 the stiftest soil he could find to be tramped firmly down. 



This mode of placing- the drains proved very successful, 

 and effected a thoroug'h and imiform dryness over the whole 

 surface. He had not proceeded far in deep ploughing-, 

 when he discovered the necessity of having" a powerlul in- 

 strument to stir up the subsoil, and remove the stones 

 which everj^where obstructed the ploug-h. This g-ave rise 

 to the invention of the sidjsoil ploug-h, which was desig-ned 

 to stir up the subsoil without bring-ing- it to the surface, or 

 to mix in any m-aterial deg-ree with the active soil, as he 

 found that sterile subsoil injured the productiveness of the 

 active soil when mixed with it, before having- been exposed 

 to the action of the air for some years. Mr. Smith proceeded 

 in applying- this system over his whole farm, and the yearly 

 results of the crops proved the correctness of his theory, 

 and his farm soon became the attraction of enterprising- and 

 intellig-ent ag-riculturists. He had still g-reat diificulty in. 

 persuading- his neig-hbours to make trial of his system to 

 any extent; and it was not till they had seen the result of 

 successive crops that they followed his example ; even then 

 they made their trials on a small scale. 



Farmer's Magazine, Sept. 1846. 



