47 



best watered meadows; and yet these 

 meadows never derive any benefit from 

 such a " thorough good soaking/' as is 

 recommended by Mr. Davis. 



" This first soaking/' Mr. D. after- 

 wards says, " is to make the land sink, 

 ** and pitch close together." How land 

 that has been compressed for se^'^eral 

 weeks by the heavy treading of cattle, can 

 be made to sink still closer together, by 

 means of water thrown over it, I cannot 

 conceive. If Mr. Davis had said that 

 water was used more freely in autumn 

 than at other times, in order to collect as 

 much mud as possible, I should perfectly 

 have coincided with him in opinion. 



Mr. D., in the same page, says, " when 



the water is taken off, then the works are 



G 2 made 



