IRRIGATION. 39Q 



meadow is trebled. The expense of the first part 

 was about five pounds per acre ; but by filling up holes, 

 taking up turf, and laying it down again, &c. some of the 

 latter part cost him, it is said, above 20!. per acre. GeiW 

 ticmen who attempt this improvement, cannot be too 

 much impressed with the idea of the necessity there is, 

 ihat water, applied in irrigation, should always be in nimble 

 motion; the effe6t is greater and more certain: another 

 circumstance, oftentimes^ not sufficiently attended to, is 

 chat of the carriers being so levelled, that the water 

 will flow over the edges in every part, by whiclr means 

 it is much more equally delivered than when let out by 

 small cuts. 



Mr. PuRDis, of Eggmorc, shewed me a mead of eight 

 acres, which he had very lately renewed ; employing 

 Mr. Brooks, from Gloucestershire : upon examining 

 die spot where it would be proper to fix the sluice- 

 for throwing the water of the river into the main car- 

 rier, the foundations of an old sluice were found, in 

 a sound state ; and the whole immediately renewed : 

 on further examination, the carriers and drains in the 

 meadow were all tiaccd, opened afresh, and thus an 

 irrigation formed upon very nearly the plan of old 

 works, which had been utterly negje61ed for at least 

 80 years : upon further inquiry, it was found that this 

 former iriigation was obscurely known to have existed, 

 but no records gave any information of the time when it 

 liad been formed: it is extremely curious thus to trace 

 former exertions in so excellent a husbandry, followed by 

 so long a period of darkness and ignorance, as to suffer 

 such immense advantages to sink into a state of neglef^ and 

 ruin. Mr. Brooks approved the former mode of irri- 

 gation. 1 may observe upon it, that the water through- 

 out 



