WEL 



WHE 



persons conversant with this sort of 

 business are employed, they usually 

 manage the whole of the work, brick- 

 ing round the sides with great facility 

 and readiness ; but in other eases it 

 will be necessary to have a bricklayer 

 to execute this part of the business. 



" There are two methods of build- 

 ing the stone or brick within the well, 

 which is called the steening. In one 

 of these a circular ring is formed, of 

 the same diameter as the intended 

 well ; and the timber of which it is 

 composed is of the size of the brick 

 courses with which the well is to be 

 lined. The lower edge of this circle 

 is made sharp, and shod with iron, so 

 that it has a tendency to cut into the 

 ground ; this circular kirb is placed 

 flat upon the ground, and the bricks 

 are built upon it to a considerable 

 height, like a circular wall. The 

 well-digger gets within this circle, 

 and digs away the earth at the bot- 

 tom ; the weight of the wall then for- 

 ces the kirb and the brick-work with 

 which it is loaded to descend into the 

 earth, and as fast as the earth is re- 

 moved it sinks deeper, the circular 

 brick wall being increased or raised 

 at top as fast as it sinks down ; but 

 when it gets very deep, it will sink 

 no longer, particularly if it passes 

 through a soft stratum : in this case, 

 a second kirb of a smaller size is 

 sometimes begun within the first. 

 \Mien a kirb will not sink from the 

 softness of the strata, or when it is 

 required to stop out water, the bricks 

 or stones must be laid one by one at 

 the bottom of the work, taking care 

 that the work is not left unsupported 

 in such a manner as to let the bricks 

 fall as they are laid ; this is called 

 underpinning. 



" AVell-diggers experience some- 

 times great difficulty from a noxious 

 air which fills the well, and suffocates 

 them if they breathe it. The usual 

 mode of clearing wells of noxious air 

 is by means of a large pair of bellows 

 and a long leathern pipe, which is 

 hung down into the well to the bot- 

 tom, and fresh air forced down by 

 working the bellows. 



"The use of the auger is common 

 85.0 



I in well-digging, both in ascertaining, 



j before commencement, the nature of 



' the strata to be dug into, and also in 



course of digging for the same j)ur- 



\ pose ; and because, by boring in the 



bottom of a well to a considerable 



I depth, the spring is sometimes hit 



i upon, and digging rendered no longer 



necessary. 



"The use of the borer alone may 



procure an adequate supply of water 



in particular situations. This mode 



appears to have been long resorted 



to in this and other countries. From 



what we have already stated as to 



the disposition of strata, the c(Hidi- 



tions requisite for its success will be 



' readily conceived ; viz , watery strata 



! connected with others on a higher 



I level : the pressure of the water con- 



jtained in the higher parts of such 



! strata on that in the lower will read- 



; ily force up the latter through any 



' orifice, however small. All that is 



necessary, therefore, is to bore down 



to the stratum containing the water, 



1 and, having completed the bore, to 



I insert a pipe, which may either be 



I left to overflow into a cistern, or it 



I may terminate in a pump. In many 



cases, water may be found in this 



\ way, and yet not in sufficient quan- 



' tity and force to rise to the surface ; 



j in such cases a well may be sunk to 



■ a certain depth, and the auger-hole 



made, and the pipe inserted in it at 



the bottom of the well. From the 



I bottom It may be pumped up to the 



I surface by any of the usual modes " 



I WETHER. The castrated ram : 



it yields the best mutton, especially 



at three to five years old. 



WHALEBONE SCRAPINGS. 

 They form a manure very similar to 

 1 woollen rags : half a ton is applied 

 to the acre. 



j WHALE-OIL SOAP. A solution 

 of this substance, at the rate of one 

 pound in four or five gallons of water, 

 is found the best application for de- 

 stroying plant lice, whether on the 

 stem or roots of trees. A weaker 

 solution, sprinkled over vegetables 

 I attacked with lice, will also be found 

 serviceable. 

 I WHEAT. Triticum kybernum. 



