THE HUSBANDRY OF THE CANE 127 



case the sideline discharges at low tide into the sea or river. Between the 

 cross canals lie the fields, usually of area 10 to 20 acres, the distance from 

 cross canal to cross canal being about 500 feet. In Demerara two kinds of 

 fields are distinguished : Dutch fields, Fig. 40, and English fields, Fig. 41. 

 In the Dutch form the fields are divided into beds 35 feet wide, running parallel 

 o the navigation trench ; running down the centre of each field is the drain/ 



FIG. 40 



FIG. 41 



known as a tracker or four-foot, which communicates with the main drainage 

 trench ; between each bed are small drains i, which discharge into the 

 four-foot. In the English fields the beds d run at right angles to the naviga- 

 tion trench. There is usually one bed g, called the dam bed, running parallel. 

 In front of the dam bed is a cross tracker h, and between the beds are the 

 small drains i. Through the centre of the field runs, as before, the four-foot/. 

 The drains i discharge both into the cross tracker, and thence by / into the 

 main drainage trench, and also directly into the main drainage trench ; 



