

RECLAMATION AND PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND. 45 



Whenever the ditches have so far drained the soil as to allow 

 of its becoming cracked and open to the air, the crops begin to 

 increase in produce. But the full value of the soil is never 

 known until thoroughly under- drained with tile or stone ; it 

 then yields excellent crops of almost any produce, clover and 

 rye-grass for hay being perhaps the most profitable. Grazing the 

 land does not answer, except from the middle of May to the 

 beginning of September ; after this the soil is too cold and damp 

 for the beasts to lie down, and they begin to fail. 



The expense of these intakes on the Foyle may be taken at 

 about L.20 an acre to get them from the sea, the expense of 

 bringing the land, when got into cultivation, will come to at least 

 L.10 more, making a total of L. 30 per acre. The best lands are 

 worth from 50s. to 40s. the Scotch acre, and the lowest and 

 wettest parts perhaps not more than 10s. say 30s. as a fair 

 average. To this has to be added the expense of keeping up the 

 banks and pumping water. The above remarks may be held 

 generally to refer to reclamations made about the same time on 

 Lough Swilly, and certainly do not present encouraging views as 

 to these reclamations viewed as a mercantile speculation. 



Morecambe Bay. 



The reclamations made by the Ulverston and Lancaster Eailway 

 in Morecambe Bay were rapidly formed by the embankment for 

 carrying the railway, which was made in pretty deep water. Like 

 the Foyle, there is also a great predominance of sea water. From 

 G. Drewry, Esq., of Holker, in Lancashire, I have been favoured 

 with the following information : A portion of the land enclosed 

 by the railway in 1856 was grassed over, and the remainder was 



