AGRICULTURE IN 18209. Br 
a proportion absolutely unequalled by any other portion 
of the known world. 
A Planter purchases a grant of 500 acres of land 
extending about half a mile in front on the sea coast and 
about a mile and three quarters towards the interior, 
between parallel lines: His first care is to throw up a 
strong dam in front to keep out the sea. His next step 
is to enclose a space of about 100 acres with an interior 
trench and an exterior bank or dam, formed from the 
earth of the excavation. He next ereéts a brick sluice, 
or wooden koker to drain off the water from this enclosed 
space which is called an empolder, 
he empolder is now cleared of trees, and a canal is 
dug from the front to the back in the middle of the 
estate, which is the leading canal of navigation. From 
this canal proceed trenches to the right and left at about 
150 paces distance, which extend to within about fifty 
paces of the side boundary; these navigable trenches 
divide the estate into to acre fields. 
Drains are’ now cut from near the centre canal to the 
‘ draining trench on each side of the estate, the distance 
between each drain being about 36 feet, which is called a 
bed. The navigation and drainage are now completed, 
the former being down the centre of the estate, and the 
latter round and down the sides of it, and communicating 
with a valve door, which lets off all superfluous water 
from within and admits none from without. 
The heavy trunks of the trees are split up into fire- 
wood and the brushwood is burnt on the land; plantains 
are then put in at distances of from 12 to 16 feet in good 
land, 16 feet is the best distance as the suckers around 
the parent stool or root rapidly spread and reduce’the 
