276 



DRAINING 



Sect. XI. 3. 2; 



to the air by laying it as dry as pofTible for a few days; and always tQ> 

 difcontinue the floodino-, when the land is covered with a fheet o£ 



ice. 



In the month of February greater attention is required.; if the wa^ 



ter be fuffered to flow over the meadow for the fpace of many days 

 without intermiffion,. a white fcum is generated,, and the 



grafs is 



much injured. And hejuflly obferves that,, if you now take off the, 



water, and expofe the land in its Vv^et flate to a fevere frofly night, a. 

 great part of the grafs will be cut oC 



Mr. Wright adds, that in Glouceflerfhire two methods of avoidino- 



thefe injuries are pradifed : one is to take off the water by day to pre- 

 vent the produ6lion of the fcum, and to turn it over again at night 

 to guard againil: the froft. The other is to take off the water early 

 in the morning ; and,, if the day be dry,, to fuffer it to remain off a 

 few days and nights ; for if the land experiences only one drying day,, 

 the frofl at night will do little injury. But the former of thefe prac- 

 tices, where it can be eafily done, he thinks preferable to the latter,. 



In the beginning of March the, grafs on well -flooded meadows will 

 generally be fo forward, as to afford abundant paflurage, and the wa* 

 ter (hould be taken off for about a week, that the land may become 

 dry and firm ;■ and the cattle fhould for the firff week be allowed a 

 little hay in the evening, if the weather be cold and rainy.. 



In the month of April the grafs may be eaten off quite (hort and 

 clofe, but not later ; fmce if you. trefpafs but one week in the month 

 of May, the crop of hay, which is tofucceed, will be much impair- 

 ed ; and the grafs- will become foft and woolly, and the hay have ths 

 appearance of lattermath hay, and be lefs valuable... 



b ■ 



At the beginning of the month of May the water is again thrown 

 over the meadows for a few days ; which fimply by moiftening the 

 land will in moft feafons, Mr.Wright obferves,. enfure a crop of hay 

 of one ton. aud a, half on an acre in the courfe of fix or feven 

 weeks. 



The; 



I 



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