farmers' miscellany. 87 



drains should be made near the upland, and running, as near as 

 may be, parallel to the dividing line between the wet and dry land. 

 Experience proves that the drains may oftentimes be made a rod 

 or more below the first issuing of the water, which instead of con- 

 tinuing to flow to the surface above the drain will find its way into 

 it beneath the surface, and thus by digging further down the de- 

 scent we not only dry the parts above, but also cut off the springs 

 to a lower depth and perhaps save the necessity of digging another 

 drain below the first. But if the water from a lower depth slill 

 issues to the surface below the first drain, there is no remedy but 

 that of cutting another drain below the first one, and running as 

 near as may be parallel with the line of issues ; and this should be 

 repeated until all the water is intercepted before coming to the sur- 

 face ; and the various drains should be so planned as to concen- 

 trate as much as possible into other main drains which run direct as 

 may be advisable, to the place for discharging the water, so that 

 the fewer there are of them the less the expense in etTecting the 

 same result. 



In draining ridges and upland, the land which is too wet and that 

 which is already dry enough, very often run into each other so im- 

 perceptibly as to make it a matter of opinion where the first drain 

 should be made. My way is to run so near to that which I am sure 

 is dry enough, as to make it all equally dry above the drain, having 

 reference to that breadth of land from which the water will draw 

 under into the drain, as before stated. The judgment must direct 

 how far below the next drain should be made, unless it be left for 

 time to determine it. A pretty sure way would be to strike a level 

 from the bottom of the first or upper drain, which would determine 

 at what distance the water could again come to the surface. 



If the surplus water on the surface of land which has a descent 

 be more the result of the nature of the subsoil, than because of 

 springs and leaches discharging on it from the land above it, the 

 office of the drain is not to cut off the water from coming to the 

 surface, but to receive the surplus of that which falls upon it, and 

 which without a drain to receive it and carry it aM^ay beneath the 

 surface, will have to float off, and thus by accumulation increase the 

 €vil complained of. In such cases, where there are no perceptible 

 issues from the land which lies above it, but few drains are required 

 to furnish the subterranean outlets. 



