1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



351 



will always be advisable to put nothing in a neigh 

 bor's power; for, although there are many propri- 

 etors and even tenants who would not only be 

 happy to concur in any real improvement of the 

 country, but would even sacrifice a trifle before 

 they would think of throwing impediments in the 

 way, yet the reverse is the case in some instances, 

 where, either through malice or some private de- 

 sign, they try to balk what they have not in their 

 power to do themselves, or have not sutlicient en- 

 ergy to perform.* 



Where necessity obliges you to erect a dam, 

 every care possible should be taken to make it as 

 substantial as the nature of the site will admit of; 

 for should it once blow at the bottom, or the wa- 

 ter penetrate round the ends, the whole erection 

 will be lost, and the rebuilding will undoubt- 

 edly cost three times the first expense. 



There are few pieces of land where the natural 



* This is not an imaginary supposition, for several 

 cases of this kind have fallen under the author's obser- 

 vation. 



descent of the surface will not admit of the water 

 being collected a second time, and carried to a 

 lower part of the meadow, and there used again. 

 Where the water is scarce, this should never be 

 neglected;* but where there is a constant supply 

 of good water, this precaution is unnecessary. In 

 others, again, it is necessary to carry the water 

 over a hollow place, by means of what the irriga- 

 tors term a carry-bridge, (aqueduct,) to a higher 

 part of the ground, which is either made of wood, 

 iron, or stone, high enough to carry the water to 

 the highest place required. 



[To be continued.] 



* In a water meadow I made for his Grace the Duke 

 of Athol in 1827, containing thirty English acres, part 

 of the water is caught and used three successive times. 

 The operations are so arranged that when the water 

 leaves the meadows it can he collected and carried 

 over another tract of equal extent, which his Grace is 

 intending to do at some future period. 



Plan of a Water Meadow belonging to William Loch, Esq. of Radian, Peebles Shire. 



a Biggar Water, 

 b Dam. 



c Sluices. 



d Conductors. 



e Feeders. 



f Drains. 



g Conductors to other fields. 



h Buck drain to cut offspring 



i Waste water drain. 



k Carry Bridge. 



Stops in the conductors and 

 feeders. 



