410 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



must beeighl, twelve or twenty inches higher 

 than that of the land, according to ihe distance of 

 one, two or three hundred yards from the one to 

 the other. The main conductor is then to be cut 

 from that point as straight as it can be, to lead to 

 and continue along the highest side ol' the field. 

 If the land has any swells on its surface higher 

 than the rest, it will be necessary to a'we to each 

 of them its own conductor, wiili leeders branch- 

 • ing from it, to convey the water over that portion 

 of^'the field. The width of the conductors must 

 depend upon the quantity of water they are re- 

 quired to convey ; and be deep enough to receive 

 the muddiest portion ol" the stream ; lor although 

 the lapd will profit by being covered with clear 

 water, it is more enriched by the deposite of turbid 

 streams. Each conductor is to be provided with 

 a sluice to regulate the admission of the water. 

 In case the river does not run in such a direction as 

 lo allow the water, alter flowing the land, to be 

 discharged directly into it, a main drain must'be 

 cut along the lower part of the meadow to receive 

 the surpTus water and convey it into the river. 

 This should be of the same dimensions as the 

 principal conductor. The portion of meadow to 

 be watered by each conductor is next to be divided 

 into beds from thirty to fifty i'eet wide, the feeders, 

 which branch at right angles from the conductor, 

 running along the centre of them, except where 

 the ground falls two ways, when it may be neces- 

 sary to make the feeders nearer to one drain than 

 the other. A bed two hundred yards long will 

 require a feeder where it leaves the conductor to 

 be twenty inches wide, and gradually diminishing 

 in width to twelve inches at the extremity. A 

 drain is to be made between every two feeders, 

 and parallel to them, of the same dimensions, but 

 reversed Ibrm ; the upper part being ten or twelve 

 inches, and the drain gradually widening to twenty 

 inches, where it terminates either in the main or 

 in the river. Supposing these works finished and 

 ready to go into operation, the manager opens the 

 sluice to admit the water into the conductor where 

 he adjusts the stops in such a manner asto supply 

 the feeders. He next regulates the stops in the 

 first feeder, so that the water shall flow regularly 

 over its sides from one end to the other, lie then 

 repeats this process in the second f '.eder, and so 

 on until all the leeders are adjusted. The slops 

 may be of pieces of board or of turf pinned down, 

 if necessary, taking care to keep the heads of the 

 pegs below the surlace of the water, otherwise 

 they are apt to collect weeds and trash. 



The rule in Europe is lo flow the land through- 

 out the months of October, November, December 

 and January, letting the water run ten or fifteen 

 days at a time, and keeping the land perfectly dry 

 during the intervals. This can only be done in' 

 situations where it is not liable to freeze hard ; 

 for a sheet of ice forming over the soil would in- 

 jure it. In February it is recommended to water 

 in the evening and let the water oH early in the 

 morning ; this practice is continued through 

 March and April, the water during that period 

 being never kept on the land more than two or 

 three days at a time. From the first week in 

 May the land is left dry until the grass is cut and 

 the hay harvest is over, when it maybe watered 

 again for a short time, to secure an abundant after 

 grass, that may be fed off. 

 The profits arising from irrigation are so great 



that they will justify a considerable outlay. The 

 works, therefore, ought to be well and durably 

 constructed ; the diims and sluices of ihe beet 

 materials, and able lo resist the sudden rising of 

 the water. The beds which, as already stated, 

 are to be from thirty to fifty feet wide, should be 

 raised from one foot to fourteen inches in the centre, 

 so that the water will fall gently off from the 

 leeders which run along their summits lo the 

 drains. 



Where an old and well set meadow is lo be 

 watered, it is advisable to lift the turf and level 

 and prepare the subsoil, relaying Ihe turf alter 

 the beds are made. This process of lilting the 

 turf and relaying it after ploughing and manuring 

 the subsoii of old grass lands is practised in the 

 best agricultural districts in Europe with great 

 advantage, even when it is not intended to prepare 

 ihem lor irrigation ; but only to invigorate the 

 growth of ihe grasses. If^ when the works are 

 completed, the soil is to be ploughed up and level- 

 led, it will require tw0 or three years before it will 

 be sufficiently set in grass to allow its being water- 

 ed without working. 



I have endeavored to give such a description of 

 the proce.«9 of irrigation as will at least enable a 

 farmer to judge of the practicability of watering 

 any portion of his land, if not to execute the work 

 himself. Those who seek lljr (iirther information 

 on this important subject, may consult the works of 

 Boswell, \V right, Smith and Johnston, London's 

 Encyclopedia of Agriculture, and Stephens' Prac- 

 tical Irrigator. The construction of works for 

 irrigation belongs, however, to the civil engineer, 

 and it is lo be hoped that those of the United 

 States will turn their attention to the subject. 

 Our extensive lines of canals may, for the most 

 part, be converted into conductors, and the water 

 be beneficially used lo fructify the country through 

 which they pass. If a blessing awaiis the man 

 who makes two blades of grass grow where only 

 one grew before, the irrigator will be thrice blest ; 

 lor well watered land will produce at least three 

 times as much grass as the same quality of soil 

 under dry culture. J. R. Poinsett. 



SKETCHES OF NORMANDY. 



E,\tract from tlie Quarterly Journal of Agriculture for June, 1841. 



This most interesting portion of France differs 

 extremely li-om the southern and eastern parts in 

 the general appearance of the country, as well as 

 in the details of its rural economy. 



Instead of exhibiting extensive tracts of tillage, 

 without any visible subdivisions to mark out the 

 different ownerships, and without trees, excepting 

 the formally trimmed ones upon the roadside, 

 Normandy is a continued series of well-timbered 

 farms, and beautiful forests of surpassing beauty, 

 interspersed with corn-fields of small extent, 

 orchards, and meadow or grazing land. 



The admirer of rural beauty is astonished at 

 the aspect of this vast province, if his eye has 

 been previously familiarized only with the open 

 country in oiher parts of France, where, though 

 his judgment approves of the economical principle 

 which leads him lo lament the absence of hedge- 

 rows and trees of every description, he is fatigued 

 with the uniformity of appearapce preeenied to 



