326 



SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part II. 



water ; and, for this operation, the Carse clay below the moss is peculiarly favourable, being perfectly free 

 from stones and all other extraneous substances ; and at the same time, when moist, as slippery as soap, 

 80 that not only is it easily dug, but its lubricity greatly facilitates the progress of the water when loaded 

 with moss. The dimensions proper for the drain are found to be, two feet for the breadth, and the same 

 for the depth. If smaller, it could not conveniently receive the spadefuls of moss ; if larger, the water 

 would escape, leaving the moss behind. The drain has an inclination of one foot in a hundred yards : the 

 more regularly this inclination is observed throughout, the less will the moss be liable to obstructions in 

 its progress with the water. The drain being formed, the operator marks off to a convenient extent, along, 

 side of it, a section of moss ten feet broad ; the greatest distance from which he can heave his spadeful 

 into the drain. This he repeatedly does, till the entire moss be removed down to the clay. He then digs 

 a new drain at the foot of the moss bank, turns the water into it, and proceeds as before, leaving the moss 

 to pursue its course into the river Forth ; upon the fortunate situation of which, happily forming for 

 several miles the southern boundary of the estate, without the interposition of any other property, 

 depended in some measure the very existence of the whole operations. 



2185. When the moss is entirely removed, the clay is found to be incumbered with the roots of different 

 sorts of trees, often very large, remaining in it as they grew : their trunks also are frequently found lying 

 beside them, as has been already observed. All these the tenants remove, often with great labour. ' In 

 the course of their operations they purposely leave a few inches of moss upon the clay. This, in spring, 

 when the season is favourable, they reduce to ashes, which in a great measure insures the first crop. 

 The ground thus cleared is turned over, where the dryness admits, with a plough ; and, where too soft, 

 with a spade. A month's exposure to the sun, wind, and frost, reduces the clay to such a state as fits it 

 for the seed in March and April. A crop of oats is the first produce, which seldom fails of being plentiful, 

 yielding from eight to ten bolls after one. {Farm. Mag., vol. xviii.) 



2186. To procure water for floating off the moss was found to be the greatest difficulty ; but it was readily 

 overcome by Mr. Whitworth, an emment engineer, and Mr. George Meikle, of Alloa, a skilful millwright, 

 the son of the well known inventor of the thrashing-machine. (799.) Mr. Meikle gave a model of a wheel 

 of his own and his father's invention, of an entirely new construction. This v/heel is so exceedingly 

 simple, and acts in a manner so easy, natural, and uniform, that a common observer is apt to undervalue 

 the invention ; but persons skilled in mechanics view machinery with a very different eye, for to them 

 simplicity is the first recommendation a machine can possess. Accordingly, upon seeing the model set 

 to work, Mr. Whitwortli, with that candour and liberality of mind which generally accompany genius 

 and knowledge, not only gave it the greatest praise, but declared that, for the purpose required, it was 

 superior to what had been recommended by himself, and advised it to be adopted without hesitation. 

 {Farm. Mag., vol. xviii.) 



2187. The water-wheel at Blair-Drmnmond is twenty-eight feet in diameter and ten feet broad. It is 

 driven by water operating on the float-boards, in the same way as an ordinary mill-wheel. At the 

 extremities of the radii, or arms, of the wheel, immediately within the float-boards and circumference, is 

 fixed a double row of buckets, as they have been called,' borrowing a word from the Persian wheel, to 

 which this part of the present machine has no resemblance, which are more like a section of Louvre 

 boards, or Venetian blinds, or a set of scales, opening upwards when at the bottom of the circumference, 

 and downwards when at the top. These receive two streams of water, which are poured into them 

 within the circumference, when below, which water they discharge when they ascend, and are inverted 

 by the revolution of the wheel into a trough or cistern so placed as to receive it above. By this means a 

 level is gained of 17 feet, which is sufficient to make the water run to the surface of the moss. The water 

 is conveyed from the cistern of the wheel to the moss for S5^ yards below ground, in wooden pipes hooped 

 with iron, 18 inches in diameter within ; and afterwards rises from the pipes into an open aqueduct above 

 1400 yards in length, and elevated from eight to ten feet above the level of the adjacent grounds. 



2188. The wheel makes nearly four revolutions in a minute, in which time it discharges into the cistern 

 40 hogsheads of water, and it is capable of lifting no less than GO hogsheads in a minute ; but the pipes 

 will not admit such a quantity of water, nor would it be safe or expedient to drive the machine with a 

 force sufficient to raise so great a quantity. It is probable that the first idea of this machine was derived 

 from the Persian wheel ; but its superiority in many respects is so conspicuous as to entitle it to little less 

 praise than the first invention. {Farm. Mag., vol xviii.) The wheel was completed and at work in October 

 1827, and the total expense exceeded 1000/. It has been twice rebuilt. The tenants voluntarily agreed to 

 pay interest on whatever sum it might cost ; but their generous landlord relieved them at once from their 

 engagement. 



2189. The details of the Blair -Urummond wheel {fig. 204 ) are thus given in the very copious and inter- 



esting account in the Partner's Magazine, vol. xviii., from which the present is extracted. Fig. 204. a, is 

 a sluice through which is admitted the water that moves the wheel ; b b, two sluices through which is 

 admitted the water raised by the wheel ; c c c, a part of one of two wooden troughs and an aperture in the 



