ON DEEP-DRAINING. 109 



field. I knew from the appearance of tlie crops tliat there 

 Avas something- wrong- below. It was in vain I was told 

 that it was a hot dry Held ; I knew it was a cold wet one. 

 I began my drains and got down as far as four feet. Every- 

 thing- was dry. " There was no water," the man said. 

 Very well, we got down another foot, and at the depth of 

 five feet np spouted a beautiful spring, which is now running-, 

 and which will run no doubt for the next century. I cut 

 another drain ; in the last foot there was another spring*. 

 Now, if I had left oif at four feet, where would be the spring- 

 rising- up by capillary attraction, and not showing itself ex- 

 cept in the case of bad crops? It is different from top- 

 water draining- so called. But you will find very often 

 that in cutting- 5-feet drains for top-waters, you will bleed 

 many springs that have been your enemies unknown for 

 years. 



While speaking- of draining, we will now allude to bog-- 

 draining. I have had some experience in that, and I will 

 communicate it, because it may be useful to many gentle- 

 men here who, I can say, in passing- by, have land of a 

 boggy nature — rushes growing- on the top of a rich soil, but 

 •wet. Now, the only way to g-et rid of that water, is 

 g-enerally to cut into the hill above that sort of land. But 

 mind, five feet are not enough here. You must go down at 

 least eight or nine feet. You must make a hole first nine 

 feet deep ; and the chance is when you have made it, in the 

 course of that or the following- day, you will find the water 

 rise in it xmtil it stands within one or two feet of the sur- 

 face. You will then have to make three or four such holes 

 at various points, where it is proved from the appearance of 

 vegetation that there is water. These holes will also most 

 likely fill. Well, gentlemen, now we want to get rid of that 

 water. To do this, you must cut a drain in the hill above 

 these holes and below their level. And when you find that 

 the water flows into your drains and that the holes do not 

 hold any more water, you may then conclude safely that 

 you have done the business as it ought to be. Gentlemen, 

 there is some difficulty in laying- pipes in these boihng- sands, 

 which they very often are. The only way to do it in diffi- 

 cult cases, is to have a skeleton arch, or some such protec- 

 tion ; then lay a yard of ])ipes ; put some straw in first, and 

 then load them with earth to keep them from being- forced 

 Out of their position by the water; then put fresh pipes 

 down of similar length; go on making them secure, and 



