THE RURAL SOCRATES, if 



La,ying meadow under water, furniflies 2iJecond me^us> 

 dF improving the foil To extremely advantageous, that 

 the difference is very immaterial between the crops of 

 a meadow well v/atered or well manured.* This, in- 

 deed, greatly depends on the properties of the water, 

 and the method of condu(3;ing it over the ground. 

 Spring-water is, in Kliyogg's opinion, the befl: ; efpc- 

 cially vyhen it can be procured immediately from the 

 fpring ; for he obferves that it infenfibly decreafes in 

 virtue, in proportion to the diftance, 



I confefs that I could affign no fatisfa£tory t reafon 



for 



*This is a part of hufbsndry (trangely negMeci in England, but of un- 

 doubted importance : I experienced it in my Su0blk farm, and yet ftrong- 

 €r in my prefent Hertfordihire one ; where any perfon that will call on me* 

 may fee the vaft difference between a meadow in the parts watered and 

 unwatered. I had thia year (1769) as much hay fronm ofFone watered acre, 

 as all the oifeer four unwatered ones in the fame field. Y. 



f The difEcuhy 15 not perhaps h great as niay be imagined, to fupport 

 this obfervation of Kliyogg's by philofophlcal reafoning. A deep fpring 

 prcferves near its fource, a temperature nearly the fame in all feafons. 

 From eight to ten degrees above freezing, is, according loReauwur's. ther- 

 mometer, the greateft variation. But a dream, wimfe furface conftdcrar 

 bly exceeds its depth, will acquire, during the fummer folftice, an incseafe 

 of heat in proportion to its diftancc from its fource. When this is too 

 great, it has been proved, that fjr from refi-efhing the grafs, it turns it 

 yellow and infures it in many refpef^s — It is alfo cuftomary in fome coun- 

 tries to overftow meadow land in winter, efpecially towards the fpring • 

 when the water gradually melts the ice that may h?ve lodged ; %! if this 

 operation were left to the aflion of the fun, the fiFecis would be too precip- 

 itate, and prove highly pernicious to the young blades of grafs. — One inar 

 rjaturally conclude, that the water beft (lakulaied for enriching a foil, hat 

 that degree of temperature already faid to be inherent in water, near Tts; 

 fovirce : and that af^ream which from the length of its courfehas confid- 

 trably augmented its original heat or cold, according to the feafcn, nsUft be 

 more hurjful than beneficial.— It is alfj to be remarked, that water takea 

 near to its fource prsferves its original purify ; while that which paffca 

 over different lands, ir.ay be inipregaated in its couife, with particles of 

 tufo (or calcarious grit-ftone) or comrade a chaiybeat or other vicious qual- 

 ity, which may render it injurious to the meadow over which it is to be 

 fpread- On the other hand, there may be inftances of water being found 

 perniciouB to adjacent rweadows, but falubrious to thofe more reuiOtely 

 Ciuaied 5 Orting tc- noxious paiticica;; vvl;)<.h it iray deDoHt jn the bedfi 

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