30 ON THE RECLAMATION 



hastened by driving double rows of open pile work, and filling 

 the intervening space with faggots of brushwood weighted 

 down with stones, and as the surface rises additional faggots 

 are laid down, till the whole is sufficiently elevated to 

 warrant the exclusion of the water. Sir John Eichardson 

 has paid much attention to this on the Tay, and has com- 

 municated his experience to the Society's Transactions.* 

 He advocates especially the filling up of runs or waterways 

 caused by the running off of the receding tide, by running 

 lines of stakes and faggots across them, and advises that 

 these cross lines of stakes should be made lower in the centre, 

 with a rise towards both ends, so as to prevent the water 

 from escaping round the ends, and so forming new channels. 

 He also strongly recommends all surface water from the 

 adjoining land to be led by catch water drains clear of the 

 land proposed to be enclosed, or if that be impracticable, by 

 a properly constructed outlet through it, so as in any case 

 to prevent the water flowing over the surface of the marsh 

 or slob land. Sir John Eichardson tried very successfully 

 the planting of small patches of bulrushes over the slob 

 land, but from my experience as to the growth of vegetation 

 in such situations as above stated, the planting of patches 

 of bulrushes or marsh samphire need not be attempted at a 

 lower level than about the high water of neap tides, and it 

 does not appear that this was done on a lower level on the 

 Tay. The tenure by which such marsh lands are held has 

 been shown to be uncertain, excepting in estuaries where the 

 river is confined by training walls ; but even after such naviga- 

 * Series ii. vol. vi. p. 298. 



