RECLAMATION AND PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND. 61 



able, on investigation, to recommend the proprietor to abandon 

 the acquired tide-covered space, and relinquish a portion of 

 his arable land as a site for a new road on solid ground, and to 

 build new fence-walls, as being far less costly than a sea-wall 

 sufficient to protect the roadway against the possible damage 

 due to the coincidence of heavy storms with high spring tides. 

 It is no doubt true that by the erection of costly groins and 

 other works, such as at Sunderland, Leith, and elsewhere, land 

 has been successfully gained for the construction of docks. But 

 the expense in such cases has ranged from L.2000 to L.3000 an 

 acre. It is also true that the engineer is often called on to 

 construct extensive sea-walls for the protection of roads and 

 railways involving interesting questions of marine engineering, 

 but it is obvious that such works cannot with any propriety be 

 considered as belonging to agricultural engineering, and do not 

 fall to be considered here. There are, however, tracts of country 

 raised but little above the high- water level, and, therefore, liable 

 to be submerged during excessive storms, where works, not of 

 aggression, but purely of defence, are not only warranted, but are 

 essential for the protection of agricultural land, I may refer, in 

 illustration of what I mean, to one case on the shores of the 

 Bristol Channel, where large tracts of low-lying pasture, extend- 

 ing for a distance of about five miles along the coast, are the 

 most valuable lands in the country, bringing exactly twice the 

 rental of the tillage lands in the district. These low-lying 

 lands, though above ordinary high-water level, are nevertheless 

 exposed, when high winds and high tides coincide, to be flooded 

 by a very prejudicial inundation, and would, if not protected, 

 ultimately lose their present high value as pasture land. This, 



