95 



both here and in England, as that of thorough draining. This 

 appears the more remarkable as the art was known. and practised 

 in England more than two hundred years ago, and for the last 

 century has been employed with great success in some parts of 

 the island. 



In looking a little into the history of the subject, the first mention 

 of a system of drainage is found in a book called the " English 

 Improver Improved ;" or the " Survey of Husbandry Surveyed," 

 by Capt. Walter Blythe ; and dedicated to the Right Honorable 

 the Lord General Cromwell. The author of this work urges with 

 force and clearness the importance and necessity of getting rid of 

 the excess of moisture by deep draining ; for, says he, " Only 

 make thy drayning trenches deep enough, and not too far off thy 

 floating course, and I'll warrant it they drayin away that under 

 moisture, fylth, and venom, as aforesaid, that maintains them 

 (the rush, flagg and marblab) and then believe me or deny Scrip- 

 ture, which I hope thou darest not, as Bildad said unto Job, 

 ' Can the rush grow without mire, or the flag without water ?' 

 Job viii. 11. That interrogation plainly shows that the rush can- 

 not grow, the water being taken from the root ; for it is not the 

 moystness upon the surface of the land, for then every shower 

 should increase the rush, but it is that which lyeth at the root, 

 which drained away at the bottom, leaves it a naked and barren 

 relief." No modern writer on this subject has set forth the rea- 

 sons for draining, not only, but for deep drainage, with greater 

 force and clearness than the old author here quoted. 



Again in his remarks on making the flooding and draining 

 trenches of water-meadows [swamps] — he says of the latter, 

 " And for thy draining-trench it must be so deep that it goe to the 

 bottom of the old spewing moyst water, that feeds the flagg and 

 the rush ; for the widenesse of it use thine own liberty, but be 

 sure to make it so wide as thou mayest go the bottom of it which 

 must be so low as any moisture lyeth, which moysture usually 

 lyeth under the over and second swarth of the earth in some 

 gravel and sand, or else, where some greater stones are mixed 

 with clay, under which thou may'st goe half a spade's grass deep 

 at least. Yea suppose this corruption that feeds and noiu-ishcs 

 the rush or flagg should he a yard or four foot deepe, to the bot- 

 tom of it thou must goe, if ever thou wilt drain it to purpose or 

 make the utmost advantage of either floating or drayning, with- 

 out which thy water cannot have its kindly operation ; for though 

 the water fatten naturally, yet still this coldness and moysture lies 

 growing within, and not being taken clean away, it eats out what 

 the water fattens ; and so the greennesse of the water is as it 

 were, riddled, screened and strained out into the land, leaving the 

 richnesse and the Icannesse sliding away from it." 



