ELKINGTON'S METHOD. 327 



of country, and embanked the river Wielland, which 

 used to overflow the neighbouring country every year. 

 In the reign of Henry VIII. minute directions were 

 given for the art of draining, in " The Book of Hus- 

 bundrie," which was published at that period. 



It was in the latter part of the last century that the 

 whole art of draining underwent a complete revolution, 

 in consequence of the discoveries and practice of an 

 eminent drainer, named Elkington. This person was a 

 farmer at Princethorp, in Warwickshire, and had received 

 very few advantages in the way of education, so that 

 when he wished to make his system public, he was obliged 

 to employ others to explain for him these processes with 

 which he had a thorough practical acquaintance. It is 

 remarkable that, although he was unacquainted with 

 science, yet the principles on which he proceeded were 

 at once simple and strictly scientific. 



It is said that the first idea of Elkington's method 

 was accidentally suggested to him by the following cir- 

 cumstance. His fields being very wet, and many of his 

 sheep being affected with the rot, he dug a trench four 

 or five feet deep, with a view of discovering the cause of 

 the wetness. At this moment a servant happened to 

 pass with an iron crow-bar, for fixing sheep hurdles in 

 the ground. Having a suspicion that the di'ain was not 

 deep enough, and wishing to know what lay beneath. 

 Elkington took the crow-bar, and plunged it four feet 

 below the bottom of the trench. On pulling it out, to 

 his astonishment, a great quantity of water welled up 

 through the hole it made, and ran along the drain. 

 From this he inferred that large bodies of water are pent 

 up in the earth, and may often be let off by tapping 

 with an auger or rod. 



From that time he busied himself in finding out the 

 seat of springs, and being possessed of great natural 

 shrewdness he was generally successful. This has always 

 been found an exceedingly difficult task, even for those 

 who are well acquainted with science : no wonder, there- 



