92 ox DRAINIXG. 



and activity of niyriads of small marine animals, having' 

 numerous leg's, and minute eel-like looking fisli working- in 

 tlie mud of recent deposition. The tidal stream from the 

 Humber, which is conducted upon the warping- grounds, and 

 let out again with the retiring tide after the deposition of its 

 solid matter, does not destroy the life of these creatures, 

 nor close their cylindrical habitations. On the retirement of 

 the water they are to be seen ceaselessly occupied in work- 

 ing up and down their holes fiirther to maintain and ela- 

 borate them against the next invasion. The death of these 

 amphibious animals no doubt occurs when the process of 

 warping terminates, and the soil solidifies, but their holes 

 remain entire, and open from top to bottom of the mass, 

 serving to admit air and moisture, and to pass the water of 

 rain in finely divided streamlets to the drains, and the earth- 

 worm finally establishes himself in a soil easily penetrated 

 and most congenial to his mining habits. In the field of 

 warp first begun to be drained on this estate, I have set out 

 the drains at about 50 feet asunder, their depth varying 

 from 4 to 6 feet, as outfall permits ; but it is probable, as 

 experience is gained of the draining faculty, that we may 

 see fit to diminish the number of drains, and so increase 

 their distance from each other in these soils. The alumina 

 of the Humber warp is very fine, and very retentive of mois- 

 ture. Water appeared at 18 inches below the surface after 

 a month of powerful evaporation and drought, in May and 

 June of this year, and copious streams were discharged from 

 the deep drains. In its original state of wetness, but iinder 

 circumstances of drought, this soil cracks widely and deeply 

 like the stiifer clays, so that it seems to possess every facility 

 for the most complete drainage, whilst its facidty for absorb- 

 ing moisture from the air, and by capillary attraction from 

 below, are of the highest order, which must vastly aid in 

 conferring upon it the fertility well known to attach to warp 

 lands. 



But the quality of warp varies greatly, according- as the 

 deposit takes place in ditferent parts of the same stream, and 

 at greater or less distance from the warping river's mouth. 

 I cannot perhaps mention a more remarkable instance of the 

 difference in the properties of warp, than what occurs at 

 Bridgewater, in Somerset. The river Parrot is famed for 

 the almost evergreen fatness of the pasturage bordering its 

 banks, lands which were formed originally, it may be pre- 

 sumed, when that river was an estuary of the sea far inland. ' 



