122 



ON DRAINING. 



influence of draining- on the first crop. The soil is naturally 

 very poor, being- a thin yellowish clay, resting- on a subsoil 

 of hard g-ravel and clay. The whole of the field, except half 

 an aci-e, was thorouo-h-drained with broken stones in the 

 autumn of 1844, at a cost of 4/. per acre, exclusive of car- 

 riag-es. For the purpose of comparison, another half acre 

 Vi^as measured off" adjoining- the undrained portion. The 

 field was sown with Kildrummy oats on the 2Cth of March 

 1845, and the crop was reaped between the 14th and 21st of 

 September. The following- is a tabular statement of the 

 result : — 



It thus appears, that even on the first crop after draining- 

 there was an increase of above li qr. of g-rain, and 6g cwt. 

 of straw per acre, the value of which g'oes far to repay the 

 expense of the operation. 



Mr. Walker, Wester-Fintray, has drained extensively for 

 some years past. All his drains are provided with open 

 conduits, or " eyes," as the land abounds with ferrug-inous 

 matter, and the cost varies from 4/. to 61. 5.s\ per acre, 

 according- to circumstances. The most beneficial results 

 have accrued from di-ainag-e on both his farms ; one of the 

 fields which was recently drained was last year in turnips, 

 and the produce was valued at G/. per imperial acre. When 

 the same field was previously under this crop, it was barely 

 worth 3/. per acre. 



In the low-lying parts of Aberdeenshire, the expense of 

 draining- is not unfrecpiently repaid b}^ the increased produce 

 of the first three crops g-rown after the operation has been 

 executed ; but in g-eneral it is not expected to be fully 

 returned until two courses of crops have been raised. There 

 are some soils so naturally sterile as not entirely to repay 



