264 [Assembly 



Farmer's Clubj May 20th, 1851. 



UNDER DRAINING.— PHOSPHATE OF LIME IN 

 AGRICULTURE. 



Judge Van Wyck in the Chair. 

 Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



The Secretary remarked that at the last meeting Professor 

 Mapes, of New-Jersey, gave a very important lesson in under 

 draining, proving that by hand implements, ditches can be dug 

 at about half the cost hitherto experienced. That resulted from 

 making them only a few inches wide, instead of many. I now 

 have the pleasure to read from the May number of the London 

 Farmers^ Magazine^ an important article on the same subject, 

 printed in London, you perceive, only twenty days ago: 



EXTRACT. 



The grand desideratum — cheap drains. 



Mr. Cotgreave, of the Rake farm, near Eccleston, in the neigh- 

 borhood of Chester, has at length vindicated his county, long 

 stigmatized as the most backward of all English counties in adopt- 

 ing the improvements of the age, in everything which relates to 

 the amelioration of the soil. By proper drainage, the clay farms 

 will become very productive, and now it can be executed for less 

 than half cost. The Marquis of Westminster, who is extensively 

 engaged in draining his estates, and other eminent agriculturists 

 in the neighborhood, approve Mr. Cotgreave's ingenious inven- 

 tion. Mr. Cotgreave's principle consists of a series of ploughs 

 derived from the carpenters^ plane; with the exception of the main 

 drains all the work, even to the obtaining the perfect level of the 

 drain, is performed by the plough plane. Mr. Cotgreave has so 

 adapted his plough that with four horses he can throw out a 

 drain from four to five feet deep. The saving of time is another 

 material object. The work by this process is almost incredibly 

 expeditious, and very little damage is done to the surface j indeed, 

 in grass lands a heavy roller will repair all damages. The cost 

 of workmanship is half the price of manual labor on the present 

 system, and the time occupied one-tenth, while the work, to say 

 the very least, is as eflBiciently and durably performed. 



