236 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. XII* 



ground, as to form a level bed for the sods. 

 Then let the sods be laid in the way before- 

 mentioned, and the drain filled up. In this way 

 the sods will be supported, and prevented from 

 giving way by any pressure from above, and the 

 drain will of course be rendered more durable 

 and sufficient. 



It must be confessed, however, that though 

 draining has been much attended to, the extent 

 to which it has been carried, bears but small 

 proportion to the quantity of land in the county 

 that neeus this improvement. But as the ne- 

 cessity and importance of draining must be ob- 

 vious, and as it has been particularly adverted 

 to by the Board of Agriculture, it is to be hoped 

 that it will be pushed more extensively, and 

 conducted with such skill and spirit, as to render 

 it at once effectual and permanent. 

 . To this, Mr Elkington's principles and mode- 

 of draining, adapted to every possible case, ex- 

 hibited in a late masterly publication by Mr 

 Johnston, will, I have no doubt, greatly contri- 

 bute, provided the execution be committed to 

 skilful hands. However excellent and effective 

 the plan may be, and however plain and intelli- 

 gible the directions given ; yet, if left entirely 

 to the farmers, to be put in practice, its utility, 

 I am afraid, will be very limited. Many of this 

 class, I believe, have ability to comprehend, and 

 spirit to carry it into effect. But by far the 

 greater number are unequal to the task. There 

 are many men, who are not destitute of parts, 

 and yet, upon a survey of the ground to be drain- 

 ed, and with the plan and directions in their 

 hands, could not exactly tell how to put it in 



