ON DRAINING, 121 



The following- are tlie returns of the crops from 1835 to 

 1839, inchisive :— 



£ s. d. 



1835, wheat, 49 qr. 1 bush. (4 cjr. Oj bush, per acre) at 



50*. per qr 122 16 3 



1836, first year's grass (depastured), valued at 47*'. &d. per 



acre 28 10 



1837, second year's grass (depastui'ed), valued at 32*. per 



acre 19 4 



1838, oats, 57 qr. 1 bush. (4 qr. 6^ bush, per acre), at 



25.V. per qr ". 71 8 li 



1839, turnips, valued at 5/. 13*. per acre 67 16 



Value of the crops for the five years succeeding the drainage ^309 14 4^ 

 Value of the crops for the five years preceding the drainage 135 17 6 



Increase in value of produce of twelve acres in six years . . ^^173 16 lOj 

 Cost of draining and subsoil-f)loughing 96 3 1 



Gain in course of six years ^"'77 13 9^ 



One year's rent, and the expense of the fallowing- and 

 manuring-, sliould, perhaps, 1)6 deducted from this sum ; but 

 still it will be seen that the cost of draining- and subsoil- 

 ploug'hing- the field referred to has been soon and most amply 

 repaid ; besides, that, while the productiveness of the soil has 

 been g-reatly increased, the expense of cultivating- it has 

 been considerably diminished. 



A farmer who had put down, in 1844, 1,761 yards, or 1 

 mile of main drains, and 14,895 yards, or 8-40 miles of small 

 drains, at a cost (for cutting- and filling-) of from 1(1.';. to 23.?. 

 for the former, and from 10.s\ to 12>s. for the latter, per him- 

 dred yards, exclusive of carriages, and in 1845 nearly the 

 same extent, states that the improvement in the land conse- 

 quent on its drainage has been both immediate and very 

 marked. The crops of every description, and more particu- 

 larly turnips, have been considerably augmented in quantity 

 and improved in quality, wdiile the groimd may now be 

 ploughed or otherwise tilled in all states of the weather, 

 excei)t during- hard frost. The value of the grass has also 

 been greatly enhanced, the pasturage being- more abundant, 

 and the herbage more nutritious. He is of opinion that 

 the cost of thorough-drainag-e is in most cases repaid in five 

 or six years. 



Mr. James Porter, the intellig-ent overseer of Logie-Elphin- 

 stone, the home-firm of Sir Robert D. H. Elphinstone, Ijart., 

 made an experiment last year, with a view to ascertain the 



