1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



137 



and they ordered the dikes to be scowed and ob- 

 structions removed, and the river widened to its 

 ancient breadth. They fixed the number and 

 •width and guage of all the gates at the mills. 

 But an investigation 200 years later shows that 

 the mill-owners could not be thus restrained 

 By raising their dams, by putting on flush-boards, 

 by stopping up outlets and various other devices, 

 they had greatly enlarged their privileges, so 

 that by a survey made in 1826, and another sub- 

 sequently, it appears that only five mills out of 

 twenty-one inspected had their wheels and waste- 

 ways according to the prescribed levels. The 

 excess of water generally amounted to from eight 

 inches to two feet of water at each mill, and of- 

 ten to three feet. It was found that the land- 

 owners could not even enforce the well-known 

 ordinances of the Court of Sewers. "It was 

 found that nothing could be done to restrict the 

 millers, but by plunging into endless lawsuits." 



By authority of various old acts giving pow- 

 ers to Sewers Commissioners, and to navigation 

 companies to maintain the river Nene navigable 

 for boats, &c., and by a new act in aid of a grand 

 enterprise for draining the whole valley, it is sup- 

 posed that the navigation will be improved, the 

 •water-power of the mills increased generally, 

 though one at least must be removed, the health- 

 fulness of the district be much increased, and im- 

 mense tracts of land thoroughly drained and 

 made productive in agriculture. "The district 

 •will also possess the essential conditions needful 

 for irrigation, a fresh water stream on a perma- 

 nent level, sufficiently elevated to supply a flow 

 over the surface of the meadows, combined with 

 a competent system of dams for carrying off the 

 spent floods." 



Under the provisions of the Nene Valley Act 

 are divisions of 6000 acres of the lands benefit- 

 ed by the drainage, and subjected to an annual 

 *'outfall tax" of about one shilling per acre, and 

 a "district tax" for their own interior works at 

 the rate of five shillings per acre. Both thes« 

 rates are to be apportioned according to the de- 

 grees of benefit received by the lands from the 

 proposed improvements, the graduation to be 

 fixed by valuers or referees. The whole cost of 

 the improvements will be about £275,000. 



This sketch of the operations in the Nene Val- 

 ley is given merely as an illustration of the mode 

 of operation in the mother country, and to show 

 how the rights of land-owners are constantly and 

 almost inevitably encroached upon by those who 

 control the water-power. 



In another instance, that of the Rye and Der- 

 •went Drainage, an account of which is found in 

 the 14th vol. of the Journal of the Royal Ag. 

 Soc, a plan of compensation was adopted, where 

 it became necessary to remove dams and other 



obstructions, which is worthy of attention. The 

 Commissioners under the Act of 1846 removed 

 the mill-wheels and substituted steam-engines 

 corresponding to the power actually used by the 

 mills, compensating, also, the proprietors for in- 

 convenience and the future additional expensive- 

 ness of the new power. 



"The claims of a short canal navigation, two 

 fisheries and tenants' damages through derange- 

 ment of business during the alterations, were dis- 

 posed of without much outlay, and the pecuniary 

 advantages of the work are apparent from the 

 fact, that a single flood such as frequently over- 

 flowed the land, has been known to do more dam- 

 age, if fairly valued in money, than the whole 

 sum expended under the Act." 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PBICB AMD MEASUREMENT OF MILK. 



Mr. Editor : — I wish to make a single inqui- 

 ry through the columns of your paper ; that while 

 so much attention is being given by the milk- 

 raisers of our State in selecting the best cows for 

 milk, and discussing the various breeds as to 

 their milking qualities, and paying exorbitant 

 prices therefor, and of raising difl'erent crops of 

 roots, and of the manner of feeding the same so 

 as to produce the greatest quantity of milk, they 

 say not one word about the price they are to re- 

 ceive for their milk, or give it the slightest atten- 

 tion, but submit to whatever price the milkman 

 chooses to pay them, be it ever so ruinous. With 

 the exception of a few towns in the immediate 

 vicinity of Boston, milk is the main product of 

 the farm, and to which the farmer gives his ex- 

 clusive attention. With all other products of the 

 farm, the farmer generally has a price, but with 

 his milk, the main thing he has to depend upon, 

 he has no price, but takes whatever the milkman 

 chooses to give him ! 



Milkmen are different in some respects from 

 dealers generally — there is no competition with 

 them — they make the price both with the raiser 

 and consumer, and stick to t\iose prices. If one 

 of their party happens to "bolt," he is kicked out, 

 and if possible, his customers got away from him. 

 If he proves too able for them, and believes in 

 the manly art of self-defence, they despise him, 

 as belonging to an unhealthy organization, not 

 fit to associate with. 



Is there no system by which the milk-raisers 

 can have a voice in the price of milk, or are they 

 willing to remain dormant, and take whatever the 

 milkman chooses to give them ? — a system by 

 which the farmers can co-operate together, and 

 break up this infernal practice of buying by one 

 measure, and selling by another, and regulate 

 the price of their milk instead of submitting every 

 thing to the milkman ? 



The milkman adheres strictly to beer measure, 

 and will buy by no other. Cannot the milk-raiser 

 adhere to wine measure, and sell by no other*? I 

 read with pleasure your article in a previous 

 number of the Farmer, upon forming farmers' 

 clubs in the different tiawns of the State, and 

 liked your suggestions very much, and I hope it 



