244 Of Ridges. Chap. XVI. 



receives all the Water from the Rills, or little Gutters, 

 wherein the Water runs betwixt the Mould and the 

 Clay ; thefe are all cut off by the Trenches, which 

 receive the Water at their upper Sides, and carry in 

 away, as the Trunks of Lead plac'd under the Eaves 

 of a Ho Life do carry away the Rain-water. 



If there were no other Manner of plowing Ridges 

 on the Sides of Hills than what is commonly prac- 

 tifed on the Plains, this Method of leaving open Fur- 

 rows (or Drains on Declivities) would be impracti- 

 cable ; becaufe the Plough could not turn up the 

 Furrows againfb the Hill, and againfl the Ridge alfo, 

 from the lower Side of it : But the eafy Remedy 

 againfl that Inconvenience is, to plow fuch Ridges in 

 Pairs, without throwing any Earth into the Trenches, 

 and then the Ridges will be plain a-top, and the 

 Rain-water will run fpeedily downward to the next 

 Trench, and thence to the Head-land, and fo out of 

 the Field. Thefe Trenches will be made, as well as 

 kept always open, by this plowing in Pairs ; and is 

 abundantly more eafy than the Way of plowing 

 Ridges fingly. This plowing in Pairs prevents alfo 

 another Inconveniency, which would otherwife happen 

 to thefe horizontal Ridges ; and that is, they being 

 higheft in the Middle, the Rain-water could not run 

 freely from the upper Half of a Ridge towards the 

 next Furrow below it, but would be apt to fink in 

 there, and foak thro' the Ridge ; but when Ridges 

 lie in Pairs, the Water will run off from a whole 

 Ridge, as well as off the lower Half of a Ridge that 

 is plow'd fingly, and higheft in the Middle. 



Befcent. 'Tis alfo the fame with the Water that falls upon the 

 Surface of the Ridges; for the more horizontal they are, the 

 Ihorter its Courfe will be from them to the Furrows, which carry 

 it off; and the lefs of the Water will fink into the Ridges, the 

 lefs oblique and the nearer to Right Angles to the Defcent they 

 are made. 



Note, 



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