mth Methods for various Soils. 251 



water. The first attempt proved a failure, inasmuch as the 

 drains were not deep enough to reach the source from which 

 the water proceeded. It being desirable to have this ground in 

 a state for cultivation, an examination took place, and the stra- 

 tum found which contained the water ; then drains were made 

 to the depth required, and the outlets deepened accordingly. 

 This answered completely. 



Had the boring auger been first used in this case, it would 

 have saved the expense of a second draining. What would we 

 think of the miner, in search of mineral and fossil substances, 

 commencing to sink his pit without the use of the auger, to 

 ascertain whether what he wanted was there or not? We 

 should be inclined to say, he was working in the dark. The 

 borer may be as advantageously used for finding the reservoirs 

 and channels of subterraneous water, which is of the greatest 

 importance to those who engage in the draining of land. 



It is necessary to bore in several places in order to obtain a 

 competent knowledge of the various lodgements of the water, 

 and at the different depths. When these have been ascertained, 

 the next thing to be done is to run a main discharging drain in 

 the lowest part of the field of improvement, and to a sufficient 

 depth to draw off the water from its deepest recess. Sometimes 

 this will be sufficient ; if not, another must be made to the next 

 deepest water, and in the lowest situation, in the best line for 

 a fall. 



As the object here, as well as from springs, is the carrying 

 off under, not surface, water, it will be unnecessaiy to fill above 

 the drains with stone rubble, or anything of that nature. When 

 water proceeds from springs, the same method as detailed above 

 should be adopted ; namely, the line of draining them should be 

 on a level with the lowermost springs, thus keeping the others 

 in a great measure dry. If a sufficient outfall cannot be com- 

 manded to carry off the water, a well may be sunk a little below 

 the lowest lodgement of water, and the water may be raised 

 with a mill, or pump ; thus obtaining by art what nature had 

 not accomplished. This is never attempted unless in extra- 

 ordinary cases, as the expense incurred would not warrant its 

 adoption. 



The quality and value of lands depend entirely on the quality 

 of the soils of which they are composed. If these are sufficiently 

 absorbent and open to prevent a surcharge at the feeding fibres 

 of plants, yet sufficiently retentive of moisture to prevent the 

 too rapid escape of rain-water through the plant-feeding system, 

 the land is of superior quality. But if, vice versa, the several 

 strata are of so loose a texture as to permit the rain-water to 

 pass through quickly, without being in a sufficient degree arrested 

 by the soil, it is of inferior quality. 'Therefore, due precaution 



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