516 Notices of Memoirs — F. J. Bennett — Geology 8f Agriculture ^ 



it. Field names should also be noted, with their oldest and latest 

 ways of spelling these, with the dates. 



Wells. — These should be all marked on the map, whether in use 

 or not, and all measured, and their total depth given, and that of 

 the water and the variation of this, and, where possible, a record 

 of the soils and subsoils met with when this well was sunk and 

 the name of the sinker. 



Springs. — All these should be marked, and their variations and 

 highest point in any special year, going as far back as possible. 



Quarries. — All these should be noted, and characters recorded 

 on the map. 



Pits. — Where old pits exist, often, of course, grown over, it will 

 be found of the utmost impoi-tance, where all record has been lost, 

 that they should be cleared and their true character ascertained. 



Drains. — Now, perhaps, the most important detail has been left 

 to the last. I am informed that, in most cases, where land lias 

 been drained the courses of the drains have not been laid down 

 on the estate maps, so that very often much of the money thus 

 expended has, for practical purposes in after years, been lost, and 

 where the drains have ceased to work much time and expense have 

 been incurred, sometimes to no purpose, in seeking the outlets, etc. 

 All this would have been avoided had their courses been laid down 

 on the maps. To record the nature of the soil dug out, when drains 

 are being made, is of the utmost importance to the agriculturist and 

 geologist, and this should be especially noted on the map. As the 

 Government indiiectly lends large sums of money for land drainage 

 I would suggest that the Government stipulate in the future that 

 the courses of all land drains should be laid down on the estate 

 maps, and the nature of the soil recorded, and that a copy and 

 tracing of the drains be deposited with the Government Department. 



I would here suggest a further use of these 25 in. maps for 

 the recording on them by farmers of certain agricultural notes 

 relating to crops, etc. 



On each of the field divisions year by year, and in one line if 

 possible (so that the records of several successive years might be 

 placed on the same division for reference, especially if contractions 

 were vised), should be noted the amount of seed sown, the kind 

 and quantity of manure used, and the weather at the time ; also 

 the result of the crop, such as weight of grain, length of straw, etc., 

 and the same with other crops. If the results of seven years were 

 thus recorded they could be taken in at a glance and the reason 

 often seen for success in one year and failure in another, and the 

 varying results where different manures had been used could also 

 be noted in a field-book. The different kinds of trees and their 

 growth in relation to the soil should be noted both by farmers and 

 landowners. Many farmers, no doubt, would object to all this 

 as an additional and useless labour on their part ; but I would 

 suggest that such information would be of the utmost value to 

 the incoming farmer, and would, of course, be the private property 

 of the late occupier. The incoming tenant should be very glad to 



