1835.] 



FAR M E R S ' REGISTER 



S97 



a, a, Stream — 6, b, Conductors— c, c, Feeders— d, d, Drainers 

 — /, g, Sluices. 



adopted where there was no rapid descent in the 

 land to demand it; I have seen it used, merely be- 

 cause it was less difficult and less expensive in the 

 execution. 



In every irrigated meadow, a small side sluice 

 should be placed in the side of the conductor, to 

 let out any waste water that may make its escape 

 through the head sluices; tor it is of the greatest 

 consequence that the meadow, between the dif- 

 ferent intervals of irrigation, be made completely 

 dry, for if the water be allowed to run dribbling 

 the whole season, the consequence will be, that 

 the driest land in a very short period will either be 

 covered with rushes or turned into a perfect bog. 

 It is equally necessary to keep an irrigated mea- 

 dow dry, as it is to make it wet at proper 

 times.* 



In the formation of an irrigated meadow, there 

 are two rules of the greatest weight: one is, that 

 no part of the works be made on a dead level; 

 and the other, that every drop of water be kept in 

 constant, motion; but to give exact directions for 

 the formation, is beyond the ingenuity of man, ibr 

 no two pieces of land are precisely alike, which 

 renders it impossible for the irrigator to follow the 

 same plan in one field that he has done in ano- 

 ther. Each meadow, therefore, requires a differ- 

 ent design, the construction to be varied according 

 to the nature of the ground, and the quality and 

 quantity of water. Inclined planes are absolutely 

 necessary for the purpose of irrigation; and the 

 benefit of irrigation depends so much upon the 

 good management and patient perseverance of 

 those who have the superintendence of it, that I 



* This happened to part of Mr. Campbell's meadow 

 at Kailzie; a few years ago the meadow was formed of" 

 a very porous soil, but the water being allowed to run 

 too long, it made the ground boggy, and producing 

 rushes. 



do not wonder it has so often proved unsuccess- 

 ful. 



However simple the construction of a water 

 meadow may appear to be on a superficial view, 

 those who enter minutely into the detail will find 

 it much more difficult than is commonly imagined. 

 It is not an easy task to give an irregular surface 

 the equal slope requisite, for the overflowing of wa- 

 fer. It is very necessary for the irrigator to have 

 just, ideas of levels; a knowledge of superficial 

 forms will not be sufficient. Few people unac- 

 quainted with the art of irrigation, and the regu- 

 larity of form which the adjustment, of water re- 

 quires, have any idea of the expense of modelling 

 the surface of afield. 



Where land is very unlevel, it is sometimes ad- 

 visable to break it up with the plough, and take a 

 crop of oats, before the formation; by which 

 means the land can be properly cleaned and pul- 

 verized before levelling it into form with the level- 

 ling plough and spade the following year — an ope- 

 ration which may be executed at half the expense 

 of doina the whole with the spade and wheelbar- 

 row. But there is one advantage by doing the 

 whole work with spade and barrow, especially 

 where the turf is strong, which is, that the water 

 can be applied as soon as the beds are formed; but 

 by breaking up, and taking a crop of oats, it will 

 require two or three years after the grass seeds are 

 sown before the water can be used, which some 

 proprietors think too long to wait, therefore will 

 rather be at an additional expense to have the 

 turf lifted and laid down again; by so doing, the 

 whole operations may be performed in oneseason. 

 The grass seeds generally used for laying down 

 land for water meadow are, vernal grass, crested 

 dogstail, soft meadow grass, rough-stalked mea- 

 dow grass, foxtail, florin grass, (agrostis stoloni- 

 fcra,) which last is one of the prevailing grasses 

 in all good meadows; and the best way of plant- 

 ing it is to cut the whole into short pieces, the 

 same way as cutting straw into chaff, and sow it 

 with other seeds. It is not always that those 

 grasses give a good crop the first year; therefore, 

 to obviate this evil, some perennial ryegrass seed 

 should be sown along with the others, to produce 

 a crop of hay before the watering commence. 



Mr. Smith, in his Essay on Irrigation, says, "it 

 is no matter what, kind of grass is sown on land 

 prepared for irrigation, for the grasses best adapt- 

 ed lor the soil will soon make their appearance 

 and banish all others.'' This is very true, but it 

 is equally obvious, that if you can replenish the 

 meadow at once with the grasses best adapted to 

 it, by sowing it with their seeds, such practice 

 would be more profitable than to rest satisfied 

 wilh the slow return of inferior crops to be ob- 

 tained during the two or three years that the un- 

 congenial grasses are going into decay, whilst the 

 spontaneous and more congenial grasses are bul 

 slowly occupying their room. The expense of 

 keeping a water meadow in repair is from 5s. to 

 6s. per acre per annum. The second year after a 

 water meadow is made is ihe most expensive, on 

 account of such places as have been forced, to 

 bring the surface of the ground to a level, sinking 

 unequally. 



Management. 



i The adjustment of water flowing over the sur- 



