[ 17 ] 



DRAINING. 



jRaining is the firfl. improvement 

 which wet lands can receive ; for, 

 till the land be laid dry, 'tis in vain to 

 beftow any kind of manure upon it, be- 

 caufe it foon wafhes away, and the rufti 

 takes polTeflion of it entirely. In plough- 

 ed land, where the foil is naturally wet, 

 different remedies have been attempted. 

 In the famous vale of EveJJjam, in ^or- 

 cefterfloirCi the land is thrown into ridges 

 from ten to thirty yards wide, and raifed 

 in the middle, to an elevation of at leaft 

 a yard above the level, which is attended 

 with great lofs and inconvenience. The 

 furrows very often contain water three 

 yards wide. The headlands are thrown 

 up in the fame manner, which dams up 

 the water in the furrows, fo that it can- 

 not get off, but rots the feed, and deftroys 

 C the 



