DRAINING. 



DRESSING. 



Ihe bottom of under-drains. When brushwood 

 is used, the trench may be dug from eighteen 

 to twenty-four inches wide, and three or four 

 feet deep. Saplings from two to six inches 

 thick at the butt may be cut into lengths of 

 four or five feet, and, commencing at the upper 

 end of the ditch, placed diagonally or slantwise, 

 the butts down and towards the outlet When 

 this is done the trench is apparently full. The 

 brush is then all brought within the edges of 

 the ditch, well trodden down, and the earth 

 thrown in. Bundles of fagots are sometimes 

 employed to lay at the bottom of the trench, 

 and at other times large straw ropes. When 

 the ground is marshy, coarse hay or straw 

 should be put upon the bottom of the trench 

 before laying the brush, and also upon the top 

 of the brush after this is stamped down. 



Wedge Draining is another method sometimes 

 resorted to. The general mode of performing 

 this is to form a narrow trench with a long, 

 narrow shovel. The spit being taken out as 

 deep as the shovel can go, a scoop is employed 

 to clear out the mud and loose earth at the bot- 

 tom. Then another shovel corresponding with 

 the first is used, and a second spit is taken out, 

 and then a narrower shovel still to clear the 

 whole out, thus forming a trench with a ledge. 

 A piece of sod, with the grass-side below, is 

 then forced down, and, resting upon the ledge, 

 a space is thus left for the water below. Some- 

 times the ledge is dispensed with, and the sod 

 is merely formed into a wedge, narrowed to- 

 wards the grassy side, and this., when the little 

 trench is cleared out, is pressed into it and 

 covered with earth ; and, as it does not reach 

 the narrow bottom, a channel remains below 

 through which the water percolates. It is evi- 

 dent that where such under-drains can be con- 

 structed the bottom must be hard. This and 

 the brush and straw drains are formed at com- 

 paratively little expense, and for a while ope- 

 rate very efficiently in conveying off the super- 

 fluous water. Still, as the materials are more 

 or less perishable, and, moreover, liable to be- 

 come closed up, they are an indifferent substi- 

 tute for stone, and yet more so for the proper 

 draining tile. 



On the heavy clay soils, the drainage is some- 

 times effected by a drain or mole plough, which 

 on some soils answers very well at a moderate 

 expense. In this the plough draws a long tu- 

 bular orifice in the clay by a heavy sharp- 

 pointed rod instead of a share, which on some 

 adhesive soils remains open, provided the fall 

 for the water is sufficient, for years. It is, 

 however, liable to too many casualties for ge- 

 neral introduction. It is commonly worked, 

 either with a windlass or otherwise, by 18 or 

 20 horses drawing from strong whippletrees. 

 (Brit. Hush. vol. i. p. 455.) 



An excellent and improved imitation of the 

 mole plough system is sometimes practised on 

 heavy clay lands. A stout piece of rope or 

 cable, four or five yards long, is laid at the bot- 

 tom of the newly cut drain (one of the narrow 

 wedge-formed drains); to the ends of this piece 

 of rope is fastened a cross or T-headed piece 

 of wood, by means of which it is drawn along 

 the bottom of the drain after the day and other 

 materials have been filled over it; an arch or 

 418 



opening is thus left, similar to that formed bjr 

 the mole plough ; the expense in thi" case is 

 merely that of digging and filling up the drain. 

 (Brit. Farm. Mag. vol. ii. p. 367.) 



In spite, however, of open and under-ground 

 drainage, and of all that these and the boring 

 system can effect, there are yet many thousands 

 of acres in the east of England that, without 

 the aid of the pump and the steam-engine, 

 would still be covered with water. These were 

 recommended many years since for this pur- 

 pose by Mr. Savory, of Downham. (Cow. Board 

 of Jlgr. vol. iv. p. 52.) The gigantic powers of 

 these great engines will be readily seen from 

 the report of Mr. Glynn (Brit. Farm. Mug. vol. 

 iii. p. 289.) Deeping Fen, near Spalding, con- 

 taining 25,000 acres, is effectually drained by 

 two steam-engines of 60 and 80 horse power. 

 Littleport Fen, near Ely, of about 28,000 acres, 

 is drained by two engines of 30 and 80 horse 

 power. By this last engine, on July 18th, 1830, 

 in a trial of eight hours, by the combustion of 

 only 87 bushels of coals, 51,230 tons of water 

 were raised. Before the introduction of steam- 

 engines, windmills were employed to a consi- 

 derable extent. They were maintained, it is 

 true, at a less expense, but the certain powers 

 of the steam-engine have induced its general 

 adoption. The carriage drain is an open, ca- 

 pacious drain, used very commonly in irriga- 

 tion, and is usually made of wood, for the pur- 

 pose of carrying the flood waters across ditches, 

 hollow drains, &c. 



DRAINING-PLOUGHS. Such ploughs as 

 are contrived for the purpose of cutting drains, 

 in order to carry off the water from wet soils. 

 See PLOUOHS. 



DRANK, or DRAUK. A very common name 

 in many parts of England for darnel ; but is 

 properly only the provincial name for the scaly 

 Drome-grass, cheat, or chess. 



DRENCH. In farriery, a large drink or 

 draught of any liquid remedy given to an ani- 

 mal, usually by means of a horn properly cut 

 for the purpose. A very able paper on drench- 

 ing horses, by Mr. John Stewart, veterinary sur- 

 geon, appears in the Quart. Journ. of jUgr. vol. 

 x. p. 626, which may be consulted with advan- 

 tage. A drink is not so portable as a ball ; it 

 is more troublesome to give, and a portion of 

 it is usually wasted. (The Horse, p. 392.) Mr. 

 Stewart strenuously urges the following propo- 

 sitions : 1. That draughts, particularly when 

 pungent or disagreeable, are dangerous. 2. 

 That by no care can the danger be altogether 

 avoided. 3. That no draught should be given 

 unless the horse be in danger of dying without 

 it. 4. That the safest way of administering 

 draughts is to give them when the horse is 

 lying. 5. That a draught is seldom or never 

 absolutely necessary but in diseases which 

 make the horse lie. 6. That a bottle is a better 

 drenching instrument than a horn. 



DRESSING. Any sort of manure applied to 

 land for the purpose of its improvement. Top- 

 dressing is that sort of fertilizer which is spread 

 over or applied upon the surface of the land, 

 either when the crop is upon the ground or 

 not. 



DRILL. A small track or longitudinal open- 

 ing in the form of a slight furrow, made in 



