THE NORTHERN COUNTIES. 271 



of Cumberland. This is attributable to two causes the 

 clayey nature of the soil and subsoil, and the great abun- 

 dance of rain. In London, the amount of rain which falls 

 during the year is twenty inches ; in Lancashire, forty ; 

 upon the coast of Cumberland, forty seven; and as much 

 as one hundred and sixty in the high valleys of the lake 

 district. 4 " To carry off all this moisture, a larger drainage 

 is necessary than in the rest of the island. At first the 

 drains were made about two feet in depth, and about 

 twenty yards apart, but the results were not satisfactory. 

 Now they are four or five feet in depth, and six to ten 

 yards apart, and care is taken to use only tiles of one and 

 a half inch interior diameter, while one inch suffices else- 

 where. By this means only have they succeeded in suffi- 

 ciently draining the land. At present there are thirty 

 tileworks in this part of the country. 



All north of the Humber was once called Northumber- 

 land, but the name now applies only to the most northern 

 county of England. Northumberland is situated on the 

 eastern side of the range of the British Apennines, Cum- 

 berland occupying the western side, and, like the latter, 

 it is divided into two parts, namely, mountains on the 

 west, and low ground on the east. The mountainous 

 part is mostly sterile. The range of Cheviot hills which 



* The tropical amount of rain above mentioned, which it has recently been 

 ascertained falls on the north-western coast of England, is confined to an ex- 

 tremely limited area a few elevated spots in the mountain range, where arable 

 culture is scarcely known ; and hence it can have little influence as affecting the 

 general rule of drainage. The diameter of tiles, it may, however, be remarked, 

 falls of course to be regulated as much by the length of drain in a continuous line, as 

 by the quantity of rain falling within a given time ; and as on the east coast, where 

 no doubt throughout the year a comparatively limited amount of rain falls, the 

 quantity is often fully greater in a short space than in districts of prevalent mois- 

 ture, it is a mistake to suppose that tiles of a smaller diameter can be efficiently 

 employed in districts showing a lower average of rain. In the exercise of a false 

 economy, the tendency on both sides of the island is to make use of tiles of too 

 limited a diameter. J. D. 



